I am no Emeril Lagasse or Julia Child, but I enjoy spending time in my little kitchen. All the effort of finding the perfect recipe, buying and prepping ingredients, and actually cooking is worth it when I see that my husband is happy with a meal or dessert that I’ve made for him. 

Of course, like I said, I’m not a chef. My kitchen trash bin has seen the occasional gourmet-gone-bad meal. I comfort myself with the thought that even the greats have flops every now and then, but it’s always discouraging when an attempt at a new meal does not turn out quite as I’d hoped.

It would be easy when this happens to blame the recipe, or the person who posted it to AllRecipes.com, or all the other would-be chefs who gave it five stars. But in reality, the failure is mine. Every time I’ve experienced a new recipe nosedive, it has been for one of two reasons: either I did not use the right ingredients, or I did not follow the instructions. 

This is true in life, as well as in cooking. When we put the wrong ingredients into our daily living or do not follow the instructions given in the Bible for a successful Christian life, the outcome is often not as we’d envisioned. Then, just as I am tempted to cast guilt on others for my culinary defeats, many blame their failure on God’s Word, God Himself, or other Christians. 

The more experience that I gain cooking, and the longer I live the Christian life, the more I realize the importance of using the proper ingredients and following the instructions—in both areas. For a tasty meal and for a successful Christian life, just follow the recipe!


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Lauren Morris

Lauren Morris, GSBC Professor

Mrs. Lauren Morris is a graduate of North Valley Baptist Schools and Golden State Baptist College. She is an integral faculty member of her college alma mater and is responsible for training the next generation in the subjects of English, education, and music. Mrs. Morris is also heavily involved in the music ministry of North Valley Baptist Church and has been faithfully serving on staff for many years.