I used to know guys who looked for girls who’d sleep with them on the first date. Sometimes, sex like this didn’t even require the effort of dinner and a movie- they’d pick women up at bars around town and didn’t have to buy them Chinese food to sleep with them. Obviously, I don’t condone that kind of lifestyle, but if one doesn’t have a higher motivation or ideal than their own bodily pleasure, I don’t necessarily condemn them- some people truly don’t know any better. I will say that all parties involved in situations like this have  huge deficits in self-esteem, but that’s beside the point. I’ve seen several of my friends go down a path of least resistance, where they take particular actions or commit to relationships for no other reason than the ease that came with the decision.

Some of these people just went to work after college, because it sounded easier and didn’t involve racking up any debt. Others married their high school sweethearts because they were together and were ready. I’m not saying this is a bad thing- in many cases, it worked out. Then there are people like me- those who seem to have an addiction to work, who want some kind of ladder to climb and who can’t sit still for more than five minutes at a time. I’m not saying this is a good way to live, but there are those of us out there who always want a goal to work toward-preferably challenging ones, because they last longer and tend to have a better payoff.

Possessing this type of personality occasionally makes Christianity difficult for people like me.

Let me explain.

When I very first met Jesus, I might have gone a little nuts. I woke up at five every morning so I could pray for an hour and read the Bible for an hour. I skipped family functions for church events. I was gun-ho for Jesus. I still am, but more and more, I’m realizing that God is really kind of a cheap date. He offers everything right as we’re introduced to Him. We don’t have to cook an awesome meal, bust out the good wine, or even talk nicely to Him to get on God’s good side. All of my effort was directed at earning something I’d already been given. All of God’s benefits were handed over to me- and I didn’t even break a sweat.

Christianity has no incentives.

We have nothing to earn from God, but if one has to look for something like that, they’re probably focusing on themselves too much, right? Preachers and other lecturers tell us that we shouldn’t jump into a relationship with God to get whatever we can out of Him, but what other reason is there? I call the humans I surround myself with my friends because I enjoy them-it’s a benefit. To do the opposite would make no sense- I don’t hang around people I can’t stand and pretend to enjoy it. Of course, there are the occasional relationships wherein one person mentors another for the purpose of helping them grow and develop into something ridiculously awesome, but such isn’t the case with God. My adoration, time spent, and study of God doesn’t make Him more or less valuable.

I might struggle with my faith less if I could sit still better- but at the same time, it’s nice understanding that I don’t have to control everything, that there’s nothing left to earn (and potentially lose) and to sit back and enjoy some divine company.