How to Love, ‘Suspiciously’

Felt guilty afterwards for having laughed at a crude joke, or sided with another person’s coercive power, but under your own duress? Our ‘love’ comes at a cost when we appease the immorality of others.

Love is best sown into things appropriate, or fitting, for love. Something as beautiful and majestic as love shouldn’t be trawled through the bog.

But that’s where we find ourselves, having sought, mainly, to people-please.

The Role of Prudence

This most coveted of Proverbial virtue is the part-jewel in the crown of Wisdom, with diligence.

Prudence is the quintessence of self-control.

It enables us to be appropriately suspicious. That is, suspicious enough to guard the ‘instant’ tongue or unthought-of action; one we’d later have cause to regret.

Suspicion sounds heinous. It’s thought to be unloving. But, no, it’s protecting love. It’s actually holding love up high; a thing to attain, but not by occlusion.

Because love’s a high bar to meet — and because we’re all so prone to missing love’s mark — suspicion is the momentary tool of the Holy Spirit keeping each moment to account.

Prudence is the name we attach to the process of checking our thoughts before we act, and pausing in our reactions to the actions of others.

The Other Side of the Coin – Love Abounding

Love is a thing that richly desires to be unrestrained.

It wants to be voluminous. That would be fine, not a thought reproached, in a world like God first intended us to have. That’s no longer the case.

There are times, though, when we can love in unhampered fanfare; situations where heaven comes to earth, and the will of God flourishes.

Let these times run freely, we say.

But, with realism, that’s a rose-coloured-glasses view. Appropriate suspicion is supplementing our approach.

Achieving the Blend – Suspicious Love

Suspicion, here — it’s hoped we understand — is a good type of temporary distrust.

It’s augmenting our love; enhancing it in the purity of God’s Spirit.

It’s balancing the ledger, particularly for those — especially extroverted people — who love enthusiastically. Such faith is so bold, at times, it compromises wisdom. The blend is required.

The blend is prudence; a study never wasted.

This is not about a restrained love, but a love measured for its time.

Love like this reaches perfection the moment it’s unveiled to the world. It comes across seamless, adroit, and a blessing to all. It’s simply beauty discharged upon tasteful relational landscape.

© 2011 S. J. Wickham.