1.

Personally, I think there is only one benefit of seeking a reward for your efforts: it can
motivate you to do good. If one is rewarded with a gift if they do a good deed, then the
person is much more likely to do it. This also works the other way though. If someone is
tempted with money to smuggle drugs, it is more likely that they will do it because of the
cash reward. But none of the less, someone can be just as motivated to do good without a
reward. Overall, I think seeking a reward for your efforts can only have one benefit of
motivation. It is a terrible mindset to have if you only seek rewards, but it can provide
you with the extra push you may need.

2. People in North America tend to drift towards the idea of giving but only if we receive; in
this case, it would be giving effort and receiving rewards; both physically and mentally.
People may think that it serves as recognition and motivation but I think there is a dark
side to rewarding people for their efforts. They may become dependent on these rewards.
What I mean by this is maybe someone will only do good deeds if they can receive a gift
at the end. Not only physical rewards but maybe even attention. One example is someone
helping the homeless just to get followers. To North Americans, it’s almost second nature
to receive rewards. If you want to thank someone, there should be a gift. It’s almost
natural to expect a reward. Take training pets as an example; you tell them to do
something, they do it, you reward them. It’s like our brains are wired to the fact that we
must receive if we give.

3. In Matthew 6:25-33, Jesus tells his disciples to not worry about food or clothes, as Gid
will provide for you. Jesus implies that when you work for good, it may be a struggle and
you shouldn’t expect to receive anything as God always has a plan for you. There are
several analogies to birds and flowers, each of which come back to the idea of working
for goodness without reward. He tells them that their main priority should not be to worry
about food or clothes, which has a double meaning of “don’t expect people to give you
food or clothes as a reward for your services, but trust in God that He will provide for
you”.