"The greatest of these is love …" (I Cor. 13:13)

Why do so many of us fail to love as well, or as often, as we could? One reason: we have developed attitudes and/or actions which inhibit our ability to love. Like plaque that builds up in the arteries and inhibits the flow of blood through our system, "plaque" can build up in our lives and inhibit the flow of God's love to those around us.

What are these obstacles that keep us from loving? We can find many of them hidden in the apostle Paul's classic treatise on love (1 Corinthians 13). Here we can find both the qualities of love and the obstacles:

Love's Ideal — "Love is patient" / Love's Obstacle — Impatience

Impatience describes a person whose own agenda is more important than that of anyone else. This person has little time or care for others' concerns. An impatient person must constantly be entertained and quickly loses interest in people if they are not filling a need in his or her own life. The Greek word Paul ...