August 2025
Issue 233

When stubbornness is smart

True stubbornness often involves refusal to change a personal opinion, even when contrary facts are presented. We've all encountered stubborn people. Sometimes we've even been one.

There's only one time when stubbornness is smart. That's when you're right, and not because you think you are, but when the truth is on your side.

This month we look at why you can be stubborn about your Christianity, and why you actually should be.

Take a look at our feature article on when stubbornness is smart.

Never too old

Hey, how do you know when the time is right?
It might hit you on a cold dark night.
Make you holler, it'll make you grin.
Never too old to be born again.

Nobody told you what to do,
always did what you wanted to.
Always thought you were pretty darn cute,
when all along you was dumb as a boot, now.
I swear by the hair of my chinny chin chin,
you're never too old to be born again.

All those people who wanna be cool,
get in that line and be a fool.
All you smart ones, time to begin.
Never too old to be born again.

This ain't no joke, it ain't no lie.
Better get right before you die.
Jesus is the cure for sin.
Never too old to be born again.

Yeah, never too old to be born again.

~ Jack Zavada, www.inspiration-for-singles.com, 2025 ~

Adapting to change in today's world

Some changes are good, others not so much. It's important to be able to recognize the difference. Why be stubborn about things that are wrong, and why be stubborn about things that don't matter?

Fads come and go. Geezers like me (74 years old) have seen lots of fads in our lifetime. One of the things that upset me about tattoos is that like the current fad of beards, it will eventually go. You can always shave off a beard when the fad goes, but removing a tattoo? Not so easy.

(Feel free to use our contact form. to tell me I'm a narrow-minded tattoo bigot.)

Adapting to change is something we singles need to do. The important thing is to have a solid bedrock of principles to help you respond wisely.

Check this article about change and see how my girlfriend told me I was too set in my ways.

Will your tomorrows be the same as your yesterdays?

If you can look ahead a year or five years from now and see your life as unsatisfying as it is today, it's time to take the first small, safe step toward change. Hope for Hurting Singles. will help you get out of that rut—but at your pace, in a way that is comfortable for you.

Hope for Hurting Singles. is a book of principles and solutions that are practical strategies to put you in control. It's not complicated. It's common sense. This is not theory. This is stuff that has been tested in the real world. Over the course of 45+ years, I systematically attacked my problems:

• Loneliness
  
• Fear
  
• Rejection
  
• Depression
  
• Low self-esteem
  
• Bitterness

Hope for Hurting Singles. is not my autobiography. No, it's a pared down analysis of what works and what doesn't. But it's not dry reading, either. It's a how-to manual on escaping the rut that's keeping you from what you want in life.

Don't wait until January to start making changes. Do it now, and do it with the guidance of somebody who's already done it. It's better (and cheaper) than a life coach because it's biblical.

It's $10.99 at amazon.com.

August QOTM: Winning advice

Tony Dungy summarizes our feature article for this month. There are millions of stubborn people in the world, but how do you know you're being stubborn about the right thing?

You can't go wrong when your complete, total conviction is in the authority of the Bible. It is the highest ethical standard in the world. Its advice for successful living is timeless. Best of all, it's from the mind of an all-loving God.

In the Bible God says, "I the LORD do not change." (Malachi 3:6, NIV). That's comforting to know. God's Word is immune from fads, pressures, criticism, and political correctness.

The Bible shows the wisest way to treat other people. It is the only book in existence inspired by God. That makes it 100 percent dependable. Follow it and you will be right.

You, a masterpiece?

Whether it's a painting, novel, or musical composition, they all stand alone. No great creation is a copy of another.

That applies to you too. Even if you're a twin, you're unique. You have your own style and most importantly, your own individual personality. The Ultimate Artist, God, made you different from everyone else so he could love you in a way that appreciates your uniqueness. No cookie-cutter love from our great God.

When you look in the mirror, look for your best features, inside and out, and build on them. The Holy Spirit will help you understand that God sees you as no one else does, even yourself.

One of the most stunning moments of life comes when you grasp that God doesn't want you to be anyone but you. He loves you just as you are: his masterpiece.

Here are some more thoughts on your uniqueness.

How I put these newsletters together

Every month for more than 19 years, I've been producing a new Inspire-O-Gram. Sometimes I lead with an article already on www.inspiration-for-singles.com, but often I write a new one.

The piece on stubbornness was prompted by the polarized politics in the United States. It's gotten so bad that mentally disturbed people are shooting at politicians. There are so many lies on both sides it's almost impossible to sort out the truth. But the sad thing is that most people don't even try. They just keep blindly believing everything they're told by their favorite TV channel and web sites.

We can't do the same thing in our spiritual life. Last night I watched a documentary about the prosperity gospel. Some of you may watch these preachers on TV. They make you feel good. They encourage you, but they're selling God. They put blessings up for sale.

That's wrong.

Churches need money to operate, but ministers don't need private jets or mansions. If they try to persuade you they do, run as fast and as far away as you can.

But I digress. I always try to keep the content of this newsletter relevant to single people. Over the years, I was surprised how popular the poems are, both here and on the web site. Some site visitors go to the Inspire-O-Gram archives and read dozens of poems in the back issues. Really.

This month's poem, "Never too late," is different. It's kind of funny, but about a serious subject. If you're reading this newsletter and are not a Christian yet, there's no time like the present to accept Christ as your Savior.

My ideas come from something I've read, sermons I've heard, a chance remark somebody made, or my daily Bible study. Of course, I have more than 50 years of mistakes and lessons to draw upon too. No need for you to go through the same trial-and-error I did.

So if there's a topic you'd like me to cover in an upcoming issue, email me through our secure contact form..

A radical idea…

Here's a radical, and for some of you, painful idea. Take a walk in a park—without your phone. Make sure it's a safe place with other people around. Go where there are trees and bushes, flowers and grass. Take in the beauty and empty your mind. Ask God to tell you something He wants you to know.

Don't just turn your phone off. Leave it at home for a half hour. Does God matter enough to you to do that? If you can't go without it for a half hour in exchange for a chance to hear from God, you have a problem. You're too stubborn to exchange something good for something breathtaking.

Just sayin'.

That concludes the August Inspire-O-Gram. I appreciate this opportunity to visit you every month and hope you found something helpful. If you want to thank me, you can forward this issue to a friend and tell them to subscribe.

Until September then,

PS: Not a Christian yet? Find out how to become a Christian.