I think most of us like the idea of a reward coming as the result of hard work, overcoming an obstacle, or a great accomplishment. As a kid, reciting verses on Wednesday nights was a source of great reward. I can remember getting in the car after Wednesday night Kids Clubs and proudly telling my mom or dad, “I said my verse!” This was their cue to drive to Winchell’s and promptly buy me the donut of my choice – my reward for saying my verse.
So what was I really striving for? Was it the actual reward, the donut, the satisfaction of having accomplished something significant, or the reality that I was drawing closer to God through memorizing Scripture? My eight-year-old self would have probably said the donut! But my adult self has a far different perspective.
Matthew 6:1,3&4 says, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven…But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” This “righteousness” not only applies to deeds that we do for others but also to deeds that we do in the presence of others. This is a warning against allowing our acts of “righteousness” to be driven by the expectation of receiving a reward.
So is it wrong to desire a reward? And how do we diminish or control that desire? Praise be to God for his patience! Our patient God recognizes that even our self-focused, reward-seeking motives are on a journey. As Scripture sinks in and we take the time to not just memorize it, but allow its truth to impact how we live, we begin to see how our good deeds impact others and draw us closer to the God that we are serving.
I believe this is the true meaning of Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” When we delight in the Lord, our motives turn away from the need for recognition or a physical reward, and our hearts begin to move in sync with the heart of Jesus. Delighting in the Lord is desiring him first and foremost. It is denying self and asking God to be the one who shapes our desires. As we delight in our relationship with our Creator, he crafts the desires that lie deep within us to become aligned with his perfect design. When this happens, the so-called rewards that are used to motivate fade away.
Consider pondering before the Lord the following questions: “What motivates me… really?” “Am I more focused on loving others or being seen loving others?” Your God delights in you! Ask him today to give you a heart that delights in him.
Lynette Fuson
Care & Counseling Director