Does reward cheapen the deed?

[midnight star]

This is a question to all people out there. In my philosphy class yesterday we discussed how knowing that one will be rewarded for doing a good act takes away from the goodness of the act itself. For example if you are kind to other people because you know you are supposed to be kind to other people then its fine. But when you know that you are going to be reward for good behavior (i.e. heaven) a new motivation enters the system. Now you are not being good entirely for the sake of being good. Part of it, at least subconsciously is being motivated by the desire to be reward. In essence, you are not doing a good deed for someone else, rather you start doing good deeds for yourself. Just curious what people have to say about it. or you can comment on the inverse, acting out of fear of punishment.

I was just thinking of those who say "believe in jesus or your going to hell". Well, if im scared of hell enough i'll believe in jesus. but jesus will presumably know that my motivation for belief is fear of punishment and not genuine belief based on faith. any thoughts?

 

[Shekinahs]

I think for some the reward is the reason for the deed. And without the reward the deed would have never happen. But I do not think overall it cheapens it. Sometimes I think the end justifies the means. If the end result is a very needed deed then the reward was worth it to get the deed done.

If a community center needs a major paint job and it takes one big pizza and ice cream party to get everybody out to paint .....that's a good thing

 

[geocajun]

to your first point, I would say that when we do good, because we know it pleases God and will merit for us a reward, it is better than when we do good for the sake of good by itself. I say this because in the first case we are intending to serve God - even if it has a self-benefit, the self-benefit is true for all things we do for God.

also to your second point about faith - I would say that faith inspired through fear is still faith, however imperfect, and that seed of faith will likely grow into a more perfect faith as one matures in their knowledge of Christ.

 

[Kelly]

When we do a good deed we, as Christians, aren't supposed to let anyone know. I find this incredibly difficult at times, especially with my close Christian friends and my wife. I want to share the experience, but I know that doing so will garnish me with praise, and that's no good.

I've often justified sharing details of financial-based good deeds with my wife because she's a contributor to the family finances and thus should know about stuff.

 

[billwald]

Consider Jews who don't accept the existance of Heaven but observe the Mosiac Covenant because it is the right thing to do.

 

[Yase]

If reward is bad then why did Jesus himself appeal to our desire for it when he said, "Store up treasure in heaven"?
But what is the reward, it is not gold, for even the streets and buildings look like gold. The reward is being with Christ. To live is Christ and to die is gain. There will be no reward in heaven for you though if you don't know Christ; if he is a stranger to you!

 

[Lifesaver]

Interesting point to think about.

Actually, the Bible offers has something to say about it as well. In the beginning of the 6th chapter of Matthew, Jesus warns men not to do good things to receive praise and reward from men.
He says that the people who boast do receive their reward (it is still a good action), but that the Father will repay those who do it in secret things such as almsgiving and prayer.

This brings another question: maybe people will only do it as God says because they want to be rewarded.
In the end, one can find egoistic motives for any good deed imaginable. Some will even say that the only reason we do good things is ourselves, so that we might experience the pleasure that comes from doing good and knowing that we have done good.

I disagree. I believe that good selfless actions are possible, though we'll never know each other's motives for sure, and we'll never know.
In any case, it is better to be selfish doing what is good than doing what is evil, isn't it?

 

[openeyes]

Does reward cheapen the deed?
That would depend on the true motivation of the deed. If the reward drives the desire to do the deed, the yes the deed is less, for the individual.
Truly selfless acts are possible, if there is a deed that was performed and is forgotten by the actor, that is a truly selfless act. We shouldn't expect any repayment for doing good, even heavenly reward should not be a driver, we should try to do good for goods sake.

 

[fcs25]

God is not as stupid as most Christians seem to believe. Doing good because you'll get a reward is not the same thing as doing good because it's your nature.The first leads to self-deception and destruction,the latter to eternal life.

 

[geocajun]

God is not as stupid as most Christians seem to believe. Doing good because you'll get a reward is not the same thing as doing good because it's your nature.The first leads to self-deception and destruction,the latter to eternal life.

that doesn't seem like a very charitable comment - that most Christians think God is stupid.

When someone feeds widows and orphans because God said it was good and they are seeking to please God, does that cheapen the act?
I think it makes their good deed, into an act of faith, and helps them grow closer to God through helping people.

 

[openeyes]

that doesn't seem like a very charitable comment - that most Christians think God is stupid.

When someone feeds widows and orphans because God said it was good and they are seeking to please God, does that cheapen the act?
I think it makes their good deed, into an act of faith, and helps them grow closer to God through helping people.

I think if the motivation to do good is to please God, it is not an act of faith it is just a work. Paul says there is no salvation through works. If someone does good because God said it was good, and for that reason alone, that is an act of faith, and salvation only comes through faith.
Good works should come from the heart, looking for any type of reward shouldn't be a motivator. We should do good deeds for the sake of doing the right thing towards our fellow mankind. God will send his grace out if He, and only He, finds it pleasing.
God bless

 

[Lucubratus]

I think sometimes rewards cheapen the deed - I'll use an example from another viewpoint. The person doing the good deed because they're doing it to be "nice" or to be Christian or whatever - and the person who received the good deed, insists on paying.
Happens to me a lot - I work for elderly ladies and that is my job. I'm already getting paid and if I do something not on my job description list simply because I happen to be there and I don't think it's a "big thing" because I'm on the clock already - the lady I'll be working for tries to shove me a "tip". Be it money or buying me lunch. Last friday I helped them out by putting stuff for their apt. complex's bizarre and she is pressing $5 in my hand and I'm telling her "No no...don't, I'm already on the clock".
She kept insisting it was "extra work" and was going to pay me directly.
So we start arguing about it. lol.
I caved in because I knew she'd feel bad if I didn't take the money but I sort of felt like she was taking away my blessing for being nice for niceness sake. So yeah, in that sense - I feel like the reward is cheapening the deed.
I just can't make the lady I work for understand my view on that- she's stubborn.

 

[geocajun]

openeyes, this is not a debate about salvation, its a discussion about habitual grace and merit to be technical.
and the 'works' that paul condemend are 'works of the law' which refers to the OT laws.

It is quite eye opening for me to see folks say that doing Good to please God is useless...

 

[openeyes]

openeyes, this is not a debate about salvation, its a discussion about habitual grace and merit to be technical.
and the 'works' that paul condemend are 'works of the law' which refers to the OT laws.

It is quite eye opening for me to see folks say that doing Good to please God is useless...

I honestly wasn't trying to turn this into a debate, I was trying to show from where my thoughts come from. Sorry if I came off as debateible .
Doing good to please God is not useless, it just shouldn't be the motivator, IMO. It's not the reward that cheapens the deed, it's the expectation, or motivator that cheapens it.
We recieve undeserved grace daily for our actions, if your good deeds are driven by the promise of grace then you find yourself asking God "Did you see what I did?" and saying "Now give me a 'cookie'."
Good deeds should amount to nothing to you, it should be habit.

 

[geocajun]

Well, I'll keep doing my Good deeds in the service of God, doing what He tells me to do

 

[nadroj1985]

openeyes, this is not a debate about salvation, its a discussion about habitual grace and merit to be technical.
and the 'works' that paul condemend are 'works of the law' which refers to the OT laws.

It is quite eye opening for me to see folks say that doing Good to please God is useless...

I don't think they're saying doing good to please God is useless. They are saying doing good for any reward, even if it is God's reward, is not quite as admirable as doing good for no other reason than that it is good. That is what morality is all about.

 

[geocajun]

So the question is does the intention change the amount of merit given for a good work from God?

 

[nadroj1985]

So the question is does the intention change the amount of merit given for a good work from God?

No, because that question still indicates that you are looking for more merit from God. The point is to do the good work completely absent from any motivation to gain reward at all. Only then is it a truly selfless deed. Whether such a thing is possible is debatable.

 

[geocajun]

I think further distinction needs to be made.

Doing good works because we know they please good is always a good and perfect intention.

Doing good works in order to reap rewords for ourselves is an imperfect intention.

Doing good works apart from God's will is just that.

 

[nadroj1985]

I think further distinction needs to be made.

Doing good works because we know they please good is always a good and perfect intention.

Doing good works in order to reap rewords for ourselves is an imperfect intention.

Doing good works apart from God's will is just that.

Well I guess I would argue that one could not do a truly selfless deed outside God's will. Doing a deed such as that would be God working through me.