Proverbs 21:8The way of the guilty person is devious, but as for the pure, his way is upright.Proverbs Daily is a reader-supported publication. All posts are free, but all donations help spread the message. When you see the word “upgrade,” you’re simply invited to help me make the sacred positively contagious...thank you in advance for becoming a free or paid subscriber.Across cultures, scriptures, and spiritual traditions, people keep naming the same strange truth about love:Love can either be allowed to open and bloom… or it can be constrained, until it collapses inward and curdles.And here’s the uncomfortable part: when love spoils, there’s rarely another remedy that can fix you.So learn this quick — love isn’t meant to be managed. Filtered. Guarded.Or constricted and coerced to serve agendas, systems, and self-advancement. Love must be allowed to flow and grow.Let’s look at how Scripture names this.📖 SCRIPTURE BREAKDOWN — Crooked vs ClearProverbs 21:8 says:“The way of the guilty person is devious, but as for the pure, his way is upright.”It seems to come down to two fundamentally different ways:In Hebrew:* The word for “Devious”  (zar זָר). means crooked, twisted, foreign to the straight path* The word for “Pure” (zakh  זַךְ)) means clear, unmixed, transparentSo are you Zakh or are you Zar? The guilty person isn’t guilty because they walk crooked. They walk crooked because something inside them is split.They’ve become accustom to resisting love’s way, And their path has so many curves, turns and twists.Think of love like a living plant. Love is resilient — it can grow in almost any environment if it’s allowed. But when it’s constantly clipped, restricted, and boxed in, it doesn’t disappear — it just withers.🧠GATED LOVEPeople who operate from a Service to Self posture don’t stop loving — they learn to GATE KEEP their love.They decide:* who deserves it* who gets access* who stays outside the gateScripture calls this way crooked.Jesus said it plainly: Even tax collectors “love their own.”Think about it like this.A hardcore gang member can have real love — for his set, His people, His territory.That love is real. But it’s narrow.If love is allowed to grow, it stretches: From crew → maybe to a life partner From partner → eventually to children From children → to experienced values From values → to realized responsibilityAnd eventually, love forces a choice: Either the heart widens… or the system breaks.That’s why Scripture says the way of the pure is straight. Not because they’re flawless — but because nothing inside them is fighting the flow.🧭 DON’T LET LOVE GROW COLDSo this verse isn’t an accusation. It’s an invitation.Ask yourself today: Is my love expanding… or quietly shrinking to keep me safe?Because when love flows freely, nothing inside you needs to resist it anymore.🔥 REMEMBERA constricted heart creates a crooked path. An open heart walks straight without trying.PrayerLord, please soften my heart–so my way remains straight.Today’s ChallengeNotice one place where you’ve been loving selectively. Open the gate just a little wider today.About the AuthorFred Lynch is a creative communicator, author, and Christian Hip Hop pioneer. To learn more about Fred and what he’s up to now…click here or you can find him in all the socials by searching the handle: heyfredlynch📱Experience Proverbs Daily by Subscribing!Ready to receive daily wisdom directly on your phone?Go to proverbsdaily.org for the app  or just click that Subscribe button right now!Be Wise and Be Well...peace.Thanks for reading Proverbs Daily! This post is public so feel free to share it.

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