Hal, I agree with you 100%.
SJ… I find your comment disturbing. If you don’t believe mitzvos are necessary why are you doing them? How can you claim to get schar for not believing? I think you need to be true to yourself – you shouldn’t be living a lie. If you’re frum, you should believe in Hashem and the truth and necessity of the Torah. If you don’t really believe and you’re just frum because you’re scared that you might turn out to be wrong, you need to be honest with yourself about that. Please continue doing the mitzvos if that’s the case, but realize that
1- That’s NOT the ideal. You should try to further your spiritual growth.
2- That’s NOT the norm for most of us.
Personally, as a teenager, I read about lots of different religions. (Probably shouldn’t have) I feel like I chose to be a Torah abiding Jew as much as any baal teshuvah.
Being a true Torah jew, like Hal said, is a DAILY upward struggle.