Christmas day has come and gone, but God’s Story continues, as it has for thousands of years.  Life in the Old Testament has taught/is teaching all God’s children that there is nothing we can do in our own strength to become “holy as He is holy”.  When Jesus came onto the scene, the beginning of the New Testament, God’s Story and Plan became clearer.  Christ is the way to the holiness to which God has called all His children.  It’s only through surrendering to Christ and His strength to change our lives can we be made holy, fulfilling the purpose for which we were made.  Accepting that Christ paid the price for our sins for all time and surrendering our own “power” to His is how we move toward being holy.  We cannot do it ourselves.  All we have to do is believe, trust, and rest in our Father’s plan.  This is the whole Truth, and in it is found peace, even in life’s toughest storms.  

So, as we move from Christmas into a new year and look toward the future, to Easter, to eternity, we can do it with a calm in our hearts, knowing that “He knows the plans He has for us….to give us a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29).  We can let go of our striving to be all He wants us to be, and instead, we can find rest in Him, in allowing Him to be the One to work and move in our lives to bring about true holiness in our hearts.