Love seeks the best interest of others.  Love is built upon serving another person without expecting anything from that person in return.  God sees our works and HE blesses us accordingly.

Consider Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:2-4, “2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

I would rather have God’s rewards than man’s applause and I suspect that you do too.  The church is supposed to be a place where we show and even prove our love for Jesus in the way that we sacrificially serve others.  It is not intended to be a platform for personal gain.