Becoming a child of God involves surrendering your life to Jesus. Surrender first means acknowledging that you have been in rebellion against God—ignoring Him and His purpose for your life, no matter how subtle that disregard for Him might be. You have been running the show, having installed yourself on the throne of your life instead of yielding to Jesus as ruler.
The Bible calls it sin. Sin is commonly thought of as specific acts we commit. But these failings are merely a symptom of a much deeper disease. Disregard for God is the underlying problem. All sin is rooted in rebellion. Often people don’t consider themselves to be sinners, thinking, “I’ve always been a pretty good person.” Regardless, the Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) When first approaching God, it always comes down to this: “Lord, I know I have sinned against you.”