Micro-Rewards

After being at home in NJ for two weeks, I was reunited with my car today, and after small group, I snapped my phone into the phone holder thing, and started driving home. As I was driving, a feeling crept into my mind - I felt like I was missing out on getting credit for something. I thought perhaps I was momentarily mistaken that I should get Fitbit steps for driving. Then I realized - I was missing out on getting Waze points. 

It’s interesting how I have grown accustomed to getting credit for everything I do in my life, from walking to driving. While I’m sure there’s some fancy psychological term for these minute, meaningless points, I’ll call them “micro-rewards” (I fully expect to collect some royalty on this term in some point in the future). Whether it’s Fitbit, Waze, Bing Rewards, credit card points, or Yogurtland card points, the expectation for receiving a reward for everything I do seems to have engrained itself in my head. 

Expecting recognition and reward for every deed accomplished seems so petty, but if I’m honest to myself, that’s how I often view work and spirituality. While rewards (monetary and otherwise) are an integral part of a healthy motivation of work, it really shouldn’t be the driving motivation for me, and I should not get upset if there are things that I do that are not recognized or rewarded. This temptation towards entitlement and applause is even more dangerous in relation to God, and I hope that I’m not living to rack up “God points” which are redeemable at my death. Rather, that all my good deeds would be driven by a pure love for God which is self-sacrificing and doesn’t demand a constant ticker of micro-rewards.