Although I was often careless with my words, thoughts and actions towards others, I didn't think I was 'that bad' - I never really broke the law and I did lots of things I thought were 'good', like working hard at school. I thought that these things would make God pleased with me and love me.

Being changed

It's been a gradual process since then as I realised most of the time I was so self-centred. A lot of the 'good' I tried to do is done with the wrong heart attitude - to gain 'brownie' points with God and others to try to be popular and earn their love, through talks, the Bible, lots of mistakes and God's Holy Spirit I learnt my good works could never get me into heaven. God is so holy that no sin can be tolerated in his presence and being self-centred is sinful as it makes me the king of my life and not God.

Then I began to understand about God's grace - how God loves me unconditionally! Even though I had messed up and done what people wanted and not what God wanted - God still loves me. He wants a close relationship with me and can have one because He sent His only son Jesus to earth.

Set free

Jesus lived the perfect and sinless life that I could never live, doing only what God wanted and then when He died on a cross and rose again He took all the punishment and blame that I deserve for all the sins I've ever have or will commit. Jesus has made me clean before God even though I don't deserve it.

I now know that when I die I'm going to heaven to live with God not because of anything I've done but because of what Jesus has already done.

God is my closest friend - he's always with me. I'm never alone.

He's also the king of my life and this world. He is all-powerful. He is changing me and teaching me each day to become more and more like Jesus and less of the self-centred and worry prone me! He has a plan for my life and I can know his love, peace and joy even when life seems hard because I know he is in control.