Extrinsic rewards? or not?

Monday April 30 2012:

Luke 17:10. “........When you obey me you should say, ‘We are not worthy of praise.  We are servants who have simply done our duty.”

I have often witnessed parents who reward their children for a good report card or good behavior when, in fact, this should be an expectation.

I confess, I also tried this method with one or two of our own children and discovered it simply did not work.  We discovered, a child is naturally motivated or not.  Some excel in school while putting forth a great deal of effort while others  who may even be more capable, slip through by a narrow margin with less effort.  No matter what the ability, we discovered learning took place in all our children.

When we realized that money was not an effective motivator, we simply implied that school was “their job” and the expectation was to do their best without extrinsic rewards.

I believe this is what we are asked to do for the Lord, not to expect extrinsic rewards because we are, in fact, just fulfilling our duty.  We are expected to carry out God’s plan and it is our duty to obey without grumbling or expectant praise.

Today, if you feel the Lord has a job for you to do, just do it, without expectations, but just because He asks us to do it.

Prayer for today: Dear Lord, I am so thankful for your faithfulness and never ending love and it is my desire to please you and serve you. Help me to accept the duties you want me to perform without hesitation and help me Lord not to expect praise or instant rewards but just to serve you because I am your servant. In Jesus name, Amen.