If you could change the world, what would you change? The big, obvious injustices probably come to mind — poverty, corruption, division. Then there are the small things that shape our daily lives — the WhatsApp threads that spiral into complaint, the snarky comment at work, the silent exclusion that happens in a classroom or team meeting. Wouldn’t it be brilliant if there were a button to fix it all? The trouble is, problems rarely vanish with a button‑press. They change because people do — one choice at a time.

That’s where an unexpected image helps: pirates. Not the swashbuckling movie kind, but those who practised what we might call *good rebellion*. They stopped asking permission to do what they already knew was right. Many pirate crews in history insisted on fairness, shared voice, and loyalty. They challenged unfair hierarchies and created communities where equality mattered more than status. They weren’t perfect, but they modelled something better than the culture they’d left — and it changed their world.

Good rebellion means standing for what’s right even when it’s uncomfortable. It’s challenging the way things are done when those ways hurt people. It’s courage mixed with kindness, truth spoken with love. The ultimate example of this kind of rebellion comes from Jesus. He consistently put people above preference, love above law, compassion above convenience. In one moment recorded in Luke 13, He notices a woman who has been bent over for years. Others had grown used to her presence, but Jesus *saw* her. He called her forward, spoke freedom over her, and she stood up straight, praising God. It was a healing act — and a cultural challenge. When the leaders objected to the timing, Jesus restored the heart behind their rules by restoring a person in front of Him.

That’s how culture changes. It takes one act of love over law, one decision to see a person rather than preserve a preference. It’s not rebellion for its own sake; it’s the courage to challenge what harms people and to model what helps them flourish.

So where do we start? Start small — culture always does.

**1. Start with one thing that needs to change.**

Think about a space you belong — your workplace, family, school, team, or online community. What’s one pattern that shrinks people? Negativity, gossip, exclusion, apathy, fear? Name it, pray about it, and ask God for wisdom.

**2. Model the opposite.**

Don’t wait for position or permission. Replace gossip with encouragement. Swap cynicism for hope. Trade complaint for gratitude. You don’t need to fix everything; you just need to go first. Most cultures take their cues from the first brave soul who tries a different tone.

**3. Find your crew.**

Pirates never sailed alone, and neither did Jesus. Change sticks when it’s shared. Identify one or two people who share your heart. Agree on small experiments, cheer one another on, and check in weekly.

**4. Stay connected to God.**

Jesus moved in step with His Father; that’s where His courage and compassion came from. Ask the Spirit to help you notice the overlooked person, to highlight the moment where a gentle word could turn the temperature of a room.

One story that brings this to life is that of Katherine Johnson, one of the first Black female mathematicians at NASA. She entered rooms defined by segregation and sexism. She started small — with a pencil, a desk, and excellence. She modelled the opposite — including rather than excluding, brilliance over bitterness, dignity under pressure. She found a crew of colleagues who believed things could be different. And she stayed connected to God, seeing her work as using the talent He had given her. She didn’t set out to change *the* world, but by changing *her* world, the atmosphere around her shifted for generations who followed.

You and I can do the same in the places we actually live. One honest encouragement. One invitation to the person on the edge. One “no” to gossip and “yes” to gratitude. One decision to honour people over preference. When you choose courage over comfort, compassion over convenience, and faith over fear, something breaks open — rooms breathe again.

No, you may not be able to change the whole world. But with Jesus, you can change *your* world — one act of good rebellion, one step of love, one decision of faith at a time.