--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If faith is lacking, it is because there…" description: "\"If faith is lacking, it is because there is too much selfishness, too much concern for personal gain. For faith to be true, it has to be generous and l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d2/mother-teresa-196_being-true_if-faith-is-lacking-it-is-because-there_2537015.jpg" --- # If faith is lacking, it is because there is too much… ![“If faith is lacking, it is because there is too much selfishness, too much concern for personal gain. For faith to be true, it has to be generous and loving. Love and faith go together, they complete each other.” quote by Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d2/mother-teresa-196_being-true_if-faith-is-lacking-it-is-because-there_2537015.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d2/mother-teresa-196_being-true_if-faith-is-lacking-it-is-because-there_2537015.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d2/mother-teresa-196_being-true_if-faith-is-lacking-it-is-because-there_2537015.jpg) > “If faith is lacking, it is because there is too much selfishness, too much concern for personal gain. For faith to be true, it has to be generous and loving. Love and faith go together, they complete each other.” [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that selfishness hinders true faith, which requires generosity and love; faith and love are interdependent. **In simple terms:** Selfishness blocks true faith; faith needs love. Key Takeaway Cultivate generosity to strengthen faith. Themes faith love selfishness generosity Mood inspirational thoughtful Type spiritual ethical When to use this quote - volunteering - charitable work - personal reflection Key Concepts spirituality ethics interdependence Questions to Reflect On - How does personal gain conflict with spiritual growth? - Can love exist without faith? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex faith experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being true](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-true/) [Concern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concern/) [Express yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/express-yourself/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Faith and love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-and-love/) [Faith Lacking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-lacking-484825/) [Gain Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gain-faith-1396935/) [Gains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gains/) [Generous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generous/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Lacking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lacking/) [Lacking Selfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lacking-selfishness-1396936/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-faith/) [Loving love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loving-love/) [Personal gain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-gain/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Selfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfishness/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) [Too much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-much/) ## Related quotes > [Taking it in its wider and generic application, I understand faith to be the supplement of sense; or, to change the phrase, all knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-simpson/taking-it-in-its-wider-and-generic-application-i-understand-faith-to/) [Matthew Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-simpson/) > [“Don’t let “reality” make you lose faith in God and gain faith in Man. Don’t put your Joy in man because when man leaves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enitan-o-bereola-ii/don-t-let-reality-make-you-lose-faith-in-god-and-gain-faith-in-man/) [Enitan O. Bereola II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enitan-o-bereola-ii/) > [“Thus, sir, you see when faith is lacking, it becomes impossible to create certain states of happiness, for we lack the necessary humility. Vaingloriously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/thus-sir-you-see-when-faith-is-lacking-it-becomes-impossible-to/) [Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) > [“But how can there be a perversion of faith, if faith, lacking objective justification, doesn't have any demonstrable standard to pervert.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/but-how-can-there-be-a-perversion-of-faith-if-faith-lacking-objective/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [His own faith, however, was not lacking in virtues since it consisted in acknowledging obscurely that he would be granted much without ever deserving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/his-own-faith-however-was-not-lacking-in-virtues-since-it-consisted/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [And so let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love, and once we begin to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/and-so-let-us-always-meet-each-other-with-a-smile-for-the-smile-is-2/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [“Love...I put so much faith in it. Truth...I kept believing it falls always from the top lips of the one you love and trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-i-put-so-much-faith-in-it-truth-i-kept-believing-it-falls-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Coming forth, you've got to love each other and you have to have faith. And you never lose hope. Even when things are really,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alveda-king/coming-forth-you-ve-got-to-love-each-other-and-you-have-to-have-faith/) [Alveda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alveda-king/) > [Things always have a way of working out. Never underestimate the power of prayer, love and faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/things-always-have-a-way-of-working-out-never-underestimate-the-power/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [(person, place, ect.) is my brick house when the wolf is blowing everything down. Ex: You are my brick house when the wolf is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/person-place-ect-is-my-brick-house-when-the-wolf-is-blowing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Faith is the cure that heals all troubles. Without faith there is no hope and no love. Faith comes before hope, and before love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-torday/faith-is-the-cure-that-heals-all-troubles-without-faith-there-is-no/) [Paul Torday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-torday/) > [“His love, his faith in me, his belief that I can be as strong and brave as he is...The way he makes me feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-jay/his-love-his-faith-in-me-his-belief-that-i-can-be-as-strong-and-brave/) [Stacey Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-jay/) > [I know that each one of us travels to love alone, alone to faith and to death. I know it. I've tried it. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-know-that-each-one-of-us-travels-to-love-alone-alone-to-faith-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There are people who love you, Faith. Or who one day will. Even if you can't see them beside you, right here, right now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/there-are-people-who-love-you-faith-or-who-one-day-will-even-if-you/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [It is faith that looks up at the creator God and knows him to be the God of love. And it is faith that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/it-is-faith-that-looks-up-at-the-creator-god-and-knows-him-to-be-the/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) ## More by Mother Teresa > [Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within the reach of every hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/love-is-a-fruit-in-season-at-all-times-and-within-the-reach-of-every/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [All works of love are works of peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/all-works-of-love-are-works-of-peace/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [Keep the corners of your mouth turned up. Speak in a low, persuasive tone. Listen; be teachable. Laugh at good stories and learn to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/keep-the-corners-of-your-mouth-turned-up-speak-in-a-low-persuasive/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [Holy living consists in doing God's work with a smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/holy-living-consists-in-doing-god-s-work-with-a-smile/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [I don't look at anything. Every person whether he is Hindu, Muslim or Buddhist, he is my brother, my sister. I think we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/i-don-t-look-at-anything-every-person-whether-he-is-hindu-muslim-or/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [We may not be able to give much but we can always give the joy that springs in a heart that is in LOVE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/we-may-not-be-able-to-give-much-but-we-can-always-give-the-joy-that/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [Maybe if I didn't pick up that one person, I wouldn't have picked up forty-two thousand...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/maybe-if-i-didn-t-pick-up-that-one-person-i-wouldn-t-have-picked-up/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [We too are called to withdraw at certain intervals into deeper silence and aloneness with God, together as a community as well as personally;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/we-too-are-called-to-withdraw-at-certain-intervals-into-deeper/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [People are unrealistic, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/people-are-unrealistic-illogical-and-self-centered-love-them-anyway/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [Recovering in a Calcutta, India hospital. I think I'm more difficult than critical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/recovering-in-a-calcutta-india-hospital-i-think-i-m-more-difficult/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [So many signatures for such a small heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/so-many-signatures-for-such-a-small-heart/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [They should give until it hurts, maybe a very small thing, maybe just a packet of cigarettes, but instead of by smoking that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/they-should-give-until-it-hurts-maybe-a-very-small-thing-maybe-just-a/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [It is by forgiving that one is forgiven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/it-is-by-forgiving-that-one-is-forgiven/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [The more we empty ourselves, the more room we give God to fill us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/the-more-we-empty-ourselves-the-more-room-we-give-god-to-fill-us/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [Joy is prayer; joy is strength: joy is love; joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/joy-is-prayer-joy-is-strength-joy-is-love-joy-is-a-net-of-love-by/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) [Explore all 951 Mother Teresa quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) ## More Being true quotes > [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/) [Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Some article called me the most feared man in Silicon Valley. Good Lord! Why? My teenage boys got a kick out of it: 'Dad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/some-article-called-me-the-most-feared-man-in-silicon-valley-good/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Intuitionists think that there are cases in which, say, some identity statement between real numbers is neither true nor false, even though we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-f-heck/intuitionists-think-that-there-are-cases-in-which-say-some-identity/) [Richard F. Heck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-f-heck/) > [Don't be pretentious is my first advice to young writers. This is the big problem - just because you're getting an MFA doesn't mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/don-t-be-pretentious-is-my-first-advice-to-young-writers-this-is-the/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [There is no normal. I've never met a normal person. The concept is flawed. It implies that there is only one way people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-johnson/there-is-no-normal-i-ve-never-met-a-normal-person-the-concept-is/) [Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-johnson/) > [I learned a tremendous amount about what was important to me as a head coach in that I was not in charge. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-carroll/i-learned-a-tremendous-amount-about-what-was-important-to-me-as-a/) [Pete Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-carroll/) > [Life is all about being true to yourself and what you believe in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-biersack/life-is-all-about-being-true-to-yourself-and-what-you-believe-in/) [Andy Biersack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-biersack/) > [I have spent most of my life unlearning things that were proved not to be true](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/i-have-spent-most-of-my-life-unlearning-things-that-were-proved-not/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [It seemed too good to be true. That's grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judah-smith/it-seemed-too-good-to-be-true-that-s-grace/) [Judah Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judah-smith/) > [You create the happiness and the balance that you have, and your own power. This is one thing that I know to be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-raitt/you-create-the-happiness-and-the-balance-that-you-have-and-your-own/) [Bonnie Raitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-raitt/) > [Being true to yourself means living in truth with each person in your life. It means refusing to say or do something that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/being-true-to-yourself-means-living-in-truth-with-each-person-in-your/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [History is nothing but gossip about the past, with the hope that it might be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/history-is-nothing-but-gossip-about-the-past-with-the-hope-that-it/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [It is not the responsibility of the enlightened teacher to bring the student to enlightenment. That may be true in the classroom, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/it-is-not-the-responsibility-of-the-enlightened-teacher-to-bring-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) [Browse all 1,447 Being true quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-true/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If faith is lacking, it is because there is too much selfishness, too much concern for personal gain. For faith to be true, it has to be generous and loving. Love and faith go together, they complete each other.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mother Teresa" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/if-faith-is-lacking-it-is-because-there-is-too-much-selfishness-too/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being true" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/if-faith-is-lacking-it-is-because-there-is-too-much-selfishness-too/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d2/mother-teresa-196_being-true_if-faith-is-lacking-it-is-because-there_2537015.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d2/mother-teresa-196_being-true_if-faith-is-lacking-it-is-because-there_2537015.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d2/mother-teresa-196_being-true_if-faith-is-lacking-it-is-because-there_2537015.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If faith is lacking, it is because there is too much selfishness, too much concern for personal gain. For…” — Mother Teresa", "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": "Mother Teresa", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If faith is lacking, it is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/if-faith-is-lacking-it-is-because-there-is-too-much-selfishness-too/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/if-faith-is-lacking-it-is-because-there-is-too-much-selfishness-too/#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 } } ] } ```