The poster of “Desiderata” was a big hit in 1969 dorm rooms.  The poem is a credo for life, including the phrases “as far as possible, be on good terms with all persons” and “speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others.”

Similar concepts are stated in the following list from the apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5.14-21:

Admonish the idle

Encourage the fainthearted

Help the weak

Be patient with them all

See that no one repays anyone evil for evil

Always seek to do good to one another and to everyone

Rejoice always

Pray without ceasing

Give thanks in all circumstances

Do not quench the spirit

Do not despise prophecies, but test everything

Hold fast what is good

Abstain from every form of evil.

So why would you value one credo over the other?  For a Christian there are at least two major distinctions.  First, the Thessalonians list is from the scriptures, written around 50 AD; Desiderata was written in the early twentieth century and copyrighted in 1927.

Second, the Thessalonians passage includes, particularly for “give thanks in all circumstances,” this phrase – “for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

So the list from Paul is the Word of God and has the Will of God.  It’s hard to beat that.