Have you ever tried to make your own pasta?! A few months ago, I tried to do just that. And in case you’ve misunderstood, it didn’t involve opening a packet and adding boiling water etc. I tried to make proper, fresh pasta, from special flour and eggs.
I bought the right ‘00’ flour, and fortunately for me, on the side of the packet was the recipe I needed. Brilliant! So, one evening I thought I’d give it a go, guessing it wouldn’t take very long…
The recipe said to use three large eggs. I had three small-medium eggs. I thought “that’ll do”! The recipe also said to leave the dough to chill for 30 minutes before rolling out. But on that evening, I didn’t have half an hour to spare.
…a “pick and mix” approach doesn’t work. We must listen to what God says in the Bible…
Following the recipe.
So, I just rolled out the mixture straightaway. Or at least I tried to roll out the mixture. It was very difficult. I tried to cut it into vague spaghetti shapes. This proved to be challenging, as the dough was so stiff. Following the next step of the recipe, I popped the thick strips of pasta dough into boiling water for four minutes.
And what happened next? It was a complete disaster. After four minutes, the pasta was thick, stodgy and uncooked.
Why had it all gone wrong? I hadn’t followed the recipe! I decided what was right for me, and chose my own way of making pasta. I chose which steps I wanted to follow. The recipe was there for a reason. It showed how the pasta should be made in order for it to turn out well. The dough needed to be left to chill for 30 minutes… I should have taken the advice!
Wise advice.
This cooking disaster reminded me of a verse in the Bible:
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
Proverbs 12:15
In life, it can be tempting to choose to go our own way, and decide what’s best for ourselves. That’s especially true when it comes to sex and relationships. We like to pick and choose, just as I did with that pasta recipe! But a “pick and mix” approach doesn’t work. We must listen to what God says in the Bible, the whole Bible. God’s instructions for every aspect of life are there for a reason: following God’s way is always best, and will bring blessing to our lives.
