Does the presence of an emotional motive, such as honoring one's parents or raising children, undermine sincerity or diminish the reward of an action? And is it better to resist this emotion or to yield to it?

A Muslim is not required to suppress emotions that motivate them to perform certain acts, such as being kind to children and parents, as a means of drawing closer to Allah. This is because a person naturally loves to do so due to the affection they hold for their children and parents. Umm Salamah said: "O Messenger of Allah, will I be rewarded for [caring for] the children of Abu Salamah? I spend on them, and I am not going to leave them like this or like that; they are only my children." He replied: "Yes, you will be rewarded for what you spend on them." These emotions do not contradict sincerity; rather, they are part of Allah's mercy, as He has made that obedience beloved to the person and has aided them with the facilitating means for it, as long as the servant performs it sincerely for Allah the Almighty.