My daughter-in-law took it to one of her first potlucks as a bride. Half a dozen people must have asked her for the recipe. But nearly every one of them said something like this when they saw the recipe: "But I don't like garlic. Would it be okay without it?"
Excuse me, I thought. You just ate it with the garlic in it and liked it so much you asked for the recipe. You didn't even realize it contained garlic. And no, it would not be the same recipe if you changed it. That's what the word "change" means. This is all logic, but people don't seem to get it because of personal preference.
But why should I be so surprised? People do this all the time with God's Word. They see how we live—with joy and peace no matter what comes, and they want it. But when we show them the recipe? "I don't like that part. Would it be the same without it?" No, it would not. All those various parts enable us to live with joy and peace, even when troubles come our way. And besides that, it's God's recipe. I wouldn't want to have the arrogance to tell him that part of it doesn't appeal to me!
In the beginning I said that I knew of other potato recipes that were similar to mine. Notice that: similar, not the same. There is a reason Nathan likes mine, and now Brooke's, the best. And there is a reason that God prefers His way of doing things. You don't have to use my recipe. But you had better think twice about ignoring His.
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death (Prov 14:12).
Dene Ward