At eight years old I went to VBS (Vacation Bible School), and two men who had good intentions talked to me and the other girls and boys in my age group. They fed me a half-truth that rocked my world, "You must ask Jesus into your heart now, or you will go to Hell when you grow up."

Of course, these mean were technically right. You do need to ask Jesus into your heart to avoid the wrath of Hell, but you also must love the Lord with all your heart, mind, and soul, know that He loves you, and know that Jesus came down to die for our sins on the cross. I feel like Romans 10:9-10 clearly explains it by saying, " 9 If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."

This was not true of me at the time of eight years old. I thought, "Oh I need to tell people I'm saved so I don't go to Hell." So, I got baptized and went on with my life with zero change. Then at about 15, I was at a church camp, and I got saved again understanding what one must do to be saved. Then when I got home nothing changed. From there I just was so confused about where I would stand on judgment day. I even had panic attacks about this issue.

Then finally at 17 it truly clicked with me. I'm not sure what it was, but something inside me was like," Hey. maybe you should consult the Bible for the first time, and truly become saved."

That is what I did during the full month of December and into the new year. I studied what I was missing. I read the four gospels then onward. I learned what I was missing, and I truly became saved. Ever since then I have tried to apply God's word into my life. I have messed up like a stupid amount of times, but God is always there to pick me up when I fall. I can confidently say that I am a Christian.

I promise this isn't a segway into a promotion, but if you are struggling as I did I recommend reading Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart: How to Know for Sure you are Saved by J.D. Greear. I read it, and I highly recommend it because not only is his book relatable, but it is also very informative. You feel as if you are standing there with Greear as he goes through his struggles that almost mirror yours. There is also a teen edition of this book, but I read the regular version. I am not being paid by the author of this book to tell you about this. I am telling you about this book from my own personal experience.