When I was young, I spent all of my life training for one career. I took the tools that were offered to me throughout my education and used them to serve best that one purpose I had set for my life. By the time I was 17, I had job offers in my career, with prospective employers counting down the days until I turned 21.

I was planning toward this future and had been since I was six years old. But then, when I was 20, I accepted the Lord as my Savior. I knew that He was calling me to ministry — a vastly different plan than I had for myself. I would need to make a change.

The New Year brings with it many different changes. People were waiting until Jan. 1 to make a change like it’s some magical day. They might decide that they’ll start their diets on the next Monday. Realistically, though, there’s no magic on Jan.1 or Monday. Monday might come, and halfway through the day, we remember we were going to change. In certain areas of life, the change needs to happen immediately.

We need to let our flesh know today that we are changing our tomorrow.

While people are setting their New Year’s resolutions, I want to challenge you with this: make up your mind that this year you’re going to live for what God desires for your life. Think ahead to the end of 2017. What will you do differently today so that when Dec. 31 comes, you know you’ve made changes to become who God purposed you to be?

Change doesn’t happen overnight. There’s no magic on Dec. 31. You didn’t wake up today — and you won’t on Dec. 31 this year — with the ability to quit your day job and start serving God in an entirely different area.

However, if you’ve gotten to the point that you’ve decided to do what God’s called you to do, you can start making changes today. They don’t have to be big or expensive changes. Maybe, instead of watching your favorite cat videos on YouTube, you start listening to teaching or training from experts in the field. Maybe you swap your Internet surfing time for research time.

It might feel frustrating when you’re not there yet, but each little thing you do along the path to becoming who God wants you to be, not only gets you closer but counts toward serving Him in that way. He knows you’re trying to serve in His will — and He also knows you can’t just quit and start a new calling tomorrow. So take today to pray about His will and plan for your life, and take action! Pray about what God’s called you to do with your life. Write it down on an index card and carry that paper with you so that each decision you make this new year moves you further down the road to serving Him.

Watch below to learn even more!