By Pastor Ryan Stockstrom

Harvest Church

As we settle back into routine after Thanksgiving, many of us are still feeling the glow of time spent with family and the abundance of good food. Gratitude lingers, and perhaps that makes this the perfect moment to reflect on how small, everyday choices can shape our world. In recent weeks, through conversations and personal experiences, I’ve been reminded of several simple but powerful teachings from Jesus—teachings that reveal how ordinary actions often carry extraordinary influence.

At the heart of these reflections is the Golden Rule: “Do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). Jesus tells us this principle “sums up the Law and the Prophets”—in other words, it captures God’s entire intention for human relationships. If you want your life to make a difference, start there. And don’t be afraid to start small.

This morning I want to highlight three practices—encouraging others, blessing your enemies, and seeing yourself as God sees you—that may seem insignificant, but truly can change the world.

1. The Quiet Power of Encouragement

Encouragement is something we can all participate in.  It simply requires presence, awareness, and a willingness to look up from our hurried lives. To encourage someone is to give them support, confidence, or hope—and there is hardly a person today who couldn’t use a measure of all three.

A kind word, a smile, or a simple acknowledgment can shift the atmosphere of someone’s day. When people take a moment to notice me or offer some encouragement, it really does make a difference.  People won’t remember much about our accomplishments, but they will remember how we treat them.   Let’s be open to God’s leading to encourage someone—the Holy Spirit often works through brief human moments.

Encouragement is contagious. One compliment leads to another. One moment of kindness can ripple outward farther than we imagine. As Christ-followers, we carry the “pleasing aroma of Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:15). When we offer encouragement in Jesus’ name, people encounter not just our kindness, but His.

2. Blessing Your Enemies—Living with a Soft Heart and Thick Skin

Scripture calls us not only to love our friends but even to bless those who oppose us. Romans 12:18 challenges us, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

What if we lived without enemies in our hearts?  People might still oppose or come against us, but that doesn’t mean we have to view them as enemies.  

Living without enemies begins with believing the best about others. We rarely know what someone is carrying privately. Misunderstandings, stress, fear, and past wounds often sit beneath the surface of people’s actions. Assuming the best guards our hearts from bitterness.

It also helps to grow “thick skin and a soft heart.” That means learning not to take offense easily, while still caring deeply for others. It is choosing to let go rather than stew over small slights. Most importantly, it means allowing the Holy Spirit to keep our hearts clean so the love of Christ can flow freely through us.

A missionary once taught a prayer he called “the mercy prayer”—a helpful way to release resentment: “Lord, flood the one I’m thinking of with Your fulfilling mercy. Meet their every need as You see it. Draw them close to Yourself. Make Jesus real to them. Fill them with the Holy Spirit.” It’s nearly impossible to stay angry at someone you pray for like this.

Blessing our enemies is one of the most countercultural practices Jesus calls us to—but it also has the power to transform relationships, soften conflicts, and speak loudly of God’s character.

3. Loving Yourself as God Loves You

The third world-changing practice might surprise you: learning to see yourself the way God sees you. This is not about the self-centeredness our culture often encourages. It is about recognizing the dignity God has placed in every human soul—including your own.

Some people think too highly of themselves, but many think too little. Shame, insecurity, and self-criticism can quietly erode our ability to love others well. When Jesus commands, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” He assumes a healthy self-regard rooted in the truth that we are made in God’s image and redeemed through Christ.

To love others well, we must accept God’s love for us. To value others rightly, we must value the work of God in our own lives. When we see ourselves as God’s beloved children—chosen, gifted, forgiven—it becomes far easier to extend grace, patience, and encouragement to those around us.

Small Things, Big Change

Encouraging others, blessing our enemies, and loving ourselves rightly are not dramatic acts. But the Kingdom of God often grows through mustard-seed moments—quiet choices that go unnoticed by most, yet move heaven’s heart.

These are the things you might never expect to change the world. And yet, by God’s design, they do.