--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Love knows how to do without what it…" description: "\"Love knows how to do without what it naturally wants. Love knows how to say, 'What does it matter.'\" — Amy Carmichael" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/amy-carmichael-3237_doe_love-knows-how-to-do-without-what-it-nat_2475925.png" --- # Love knows how to do without what it naturally wants. Love… ![“Love knows how to do without what it naturally wants. Love knows how to say, 'What does it matter.'” quote by Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/amy-carmichael-3237_doe_love-knows-how-to-do-without-what-it-nat_2475925.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/amy-carmichael-3237_doe_love-knows-how-to-do-without-what-it-nat_2475925.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/amy-carmichael-3237_doe_love-knows-how-to-do-without-what-it-nat_2475925.png) > “Love knows how to do without what it naturally wants. Love knows how to say, 'What does it matter.'” [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True love transcends desire, focusing on self‑sacrifice and indifference to material wants. **In simple terms:** Love acts without selfish desire. Key Takeaway Practice selfless love. Themes love self‑sacrifice spirituality Mood reflective inspirational Type spiritual philosophical When to use this quote - marriage - parenting - volunteering - spiritual practice Key Concepts unconditional love inner peace Questions to Reflect On - How can you love without losing yourself? - What does “what does it matter” mean in daily life? A Different Perspective May ignore healthy personal boundaries. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [Sir, what does it matter whom I serve, so long as I am right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-corneille/sir-what-does-it-matter-whom-i-serve-so-long-as-i-am-right/) [Pierre Corneille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-corneille/) > [What does it matter? Science has achieved some wonderful things, of course, but I'd far rather be happy than right any day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/what-does-it-matter-science-has-achieved-some-wonderful-things-of/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Then Henry speaks again. "Did he do it?" I turn to him slowly. "Does it matter?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/then-henry-speaks-again-did-he-do-it-i-turn-to-him-slowly-does-it/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [In a course of a lifetime, what does it matter?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-creech/in-a-course-of-a-lifetime-what-does-it-matter/) [Sharon Creech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-creech/) > [You can make the best of it and be content, or you can complain, it makes no difference. What does it matter that human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-grillparzer/you-can-make-the-best-of-it-and-be-content-or-you-can-complain-it/) [Franz Grillparzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-grillparzer/) > [I mean, at the end of the day, what the hell does it matter who I end up with if it can't be you?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabitha-suzuma/i-mean-at-the-end-of-the-day-what-the-hell-does-it-matter-who-i-end/) [Tabitha Suzuma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabitha-suzuma/) > [Keep going don't worry about results. If you love it why does it matter?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dom-kennedy/keep-going-don-t-worry-about-results-if-you-love-it-why-does-it-matter/) [Dom Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dom-kennedy/) > [What does it matter how cultivated and up-to-date we are, or how many thousands of books we’ve read? What matters is how we feel,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-zaid/what-does-it-matter-how-cultivated-and-up-to-date-we-are-or-how-many/) [Gabriel Zaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-zaid/) > [“Does it matter, when you read, if the person who wrote still lives?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gruber/does-it-matter-when-you-read-if-the-person-who-wrote-still-lives/) [Michael Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gruber/) > [As long as we're together, does it matter where we go?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-aplin/as-long-as-we-re-together-does-it-matter-where-we-go/) [Gabrielle Aplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-aplin/) > [Everything's plastic, we're all going to die sooner or later, so what does it matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/everything-s-plastic-we-re-all-going-to-die-sooner-or-later-so-what/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [At the end of the day, if we don't win that game, we're going home, anyway, so what does it matter. I just wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-kershaw/at-the-end-of-the-day-if-we-don-t-win-that-game-we-re-going-home/) [Clayton Kershaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-kershaw/) > [What does it matter where my body happens to be?' he said. 'My mind goes on working all the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/what-does-it-matter-where-my-body-happens-to-be-he-said-my-mind-goes/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [What does it matter that we take different roads so long as we reach the same goal?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/what-does-it-matter-that-we-take-different-roads-so-long-as-we-reach/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [What does it matter where we go? Wherever we go, won't we be serving God there? And wherever we go, won't we have Our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solanus-casey/what-does-it-matter-where-we-go-wherever-we-go-won-t-we-be-serving/) [Solanus Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solanus-casey/) ## More by Amy Carmichael > [Even though we must walk in the land of fear, there is no need to fear. The power of His resurrection comes before the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/even-though-we-must-walk-in-the-land-of-fear-there-is-no-need-to-fear/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) > [If a sudden jar can cause me to speak an impatient, unloving word, then I know nothing of Calvary love. For a cup brimful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/if-a-sudden-jar-can-cause-me-to-speak-an-impatient-unloving-word-then/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) > [He hath never failed thee yet. Never will His love forget. O fret not thyself nor let Thy heart be troubled, Neither let it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/he-hath-never-failed-thee-yet-never-will-his-love-forget-o-fret-not/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) > [The mere telling of how a need was met is often like telling of a need, which is asking crookedly instead of straight out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/the-mere-telling-of-how-a-need-was-met-is-often-like-telling-of-a/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) > [“The vows of God are on me. I may not stay to play with shadows or pluck earthly flowers till I my work have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/the-vows-of-god-are-on-me-i-may-not-stay-to-play-with-shadows-or/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) > [Now you are deep in what seems to me a peculiarly selfless service. The spiritual training of children must be that. You work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/now-you-are-deep-in-what-seems-to-me-a-peculiarly-selfless-service/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) > [You can always give without loving, but you can never love without giving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/you-can-always-give-without-loving-but-you-can-never-love-without/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) > [All life's training is just exactly what is needed for the true Life-work, still out of view but far away from none of us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/all-life-s-training-is-just-exactly-what-is-needed-for-the-true-life/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) > [ When I can see my face in it \[the liquid gold in the crucible\] then it is pure. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/when-i-can-see-my-face-in-it-the-liquid-gold-in-the-crucible-then-it/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) > [Ours should be the love that asks not 'how little?' but, 'how much?' The love that delights to pour out everything upon the feet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/ours-should-be-the-love-that-asks-not-how-little-but-how-much-the/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) > [It is more important that you should know about the reverses than about the successes of the war. We shall have all eternity to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/it-is-more-important-that-you-should-know-about-the-reverses-than/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) > [“If we were less of what seems like ease in our lives they would tell more for Christ and souls...We profess to be strangers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/if-we-were-less-of-what-seems-like-ease-in-our-lives-they-would-tell/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) > [“Sometimes in Dohnavur we, who dearly love the little children about us (and the older ones too), have looked up from some engrossing work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/sometimes-in-dohnavur-we-who-dearly-love-the-little-children-about-us/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) > [Let us not be surprised when we have to face difficulties. When the wind blows hard on a tree, the roots stretch and grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/let-us-not-be-surprised-when-we-have-to-face-difficulties-when-the/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) > [“One can give without loving, but one cannot love without giving”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/one-can-give-without-loving-but-one-cannot-love-without-giving/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) [Explore all 136 Amy Carmichael quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) ## More Doe quotes > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Sometimes a sign or a quote is simply interesting by itself and does not require anything beyond being framed on a page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/sometimes-a-sign-or-a-quote-is-simply-interesting-by-itself-and-does/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [A home is not a museum. It doesn't have to be furnished with Picasso paintings, or Sheraton suites, or Oriental rugs, or Chinese pottery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/a-home-is-not-a-museum-it-doesn-t-have-to-be-furnished-with-picasso/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [He's a fool that marries; but he's a greater fool that does not marry a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/he-s-a-fool-that-marries-but-he-s-a-greater-fool-that-does-not-marry/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been born, will always reappear in a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/nothing-old-is-ever-reborn-but-neither-does-it-totally-disappear-and/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? Not necessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/if-wall-street-crashes-does-main-street-follow-not-necessarily/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) > [It does not seem to me to be sufficiently recognized everywhere among the officials that the existence or non-existence of our people and Empire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-von-hindenburg/it-does-not-seem-to-me-to-be-sufficiently-recognized-everywhere-among/) [Paul von Hindenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-von-hindenburg/) Browse all 25,574 Doe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Love knows how to do without what it naturally wants. Love knows how to say, 'What does it matter.'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Amy Carmichael" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/love-knows-how-to-do-without-what-it-naturally-wants-love-knows-how/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Doe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/love-knows-how-to-do-without-what-it-naturally-wants-love-knows-how/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/amy-carmichael-3237_doe_love-knows-how-to-do-without-what-it-nat_2475925.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/amy-carmichael-3237_doe_love-knows-how-to-do-without-what-it-nat_2475925.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/amy-carmichael-3237_doe_love-knows-how-to-do-without-what-it-nat_2475925.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Love knows how to do without what it naturally wants. Love knows how to say, 'What does it matter.'” — Amy Carmichael", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Amy Carmichael", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Love knows how to do without...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/love-knows-how-to-do-without-what-it-naturally-wants-love-knows-how/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/love-knows-how-to-do-without-what-it-naturally-wants-love-knows-how/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```