Old Testament
Ecclesiastes 9:10
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.
Common Good
Civic Literacy as Stewardship
Scripture References
Read FirstNew Testament
Titus 3:1-8
1 Remind them to be in subjection to rulers and to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,
2 to speak evil of no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all humility towards all men.
3 For we were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
Read 5 more verses
4 But when the kindness of God our Saviour and his love towards mankind appeared,
5 not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 that being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
8 This saying is faithful, and concerning these things I desire that you insist confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men;
Thought for the Day
Ecclesiastes does not flatter our time. It tells the truth about it: our days are finite, and the work in front of us will not always wait for a more convenient season. So, says the Teacher, whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might. Not frantic striving, but wholehearted faithfulness in the small patch of life we have been given.
Lord, teach us to do the work of understanding with humility, and to treat every neighbour as a person, not a slogan.
Show 118 more words
Titus adds the deeper note: remember rulers and authorities, be ready for good works, speak evil of no one, show courtesy. And remember why. We were once foolish and tangled, but God saved us not by righteous works, but by mercy: washing, renewal, a new beginning. Civic seriousness begins in repentance before it becomes an opinion, and humility before it becomes a voice.
Civic literacy is part of that everyday faithfulness. Paying attention, listening carefully, reading before speaking: these are small disciplines of neighbour-love. They help us resist being tossed about by slogans, and keep us from treating other people's lives as entertainment. But they are never grounds for pride. Knowledge does not make us clean; mercy does.
Prayer Points
Respond- Give us patient attention in a noisy age: the grace to listen, to read, and to think before we speak.
- Keep us from pride in what we know, and root us again in your mercy and renewing grace.
- Bless those who teach, explain, and translate complex matters for ordinary people, and keep them honest.
Show 2 more prayer points
- Protect neighbours who are easily manipulated or ignored, and give them advocates and trustworthy guides.
- Make our speech gentle and our motives clean, for the sake of Christ.