Desiderata for Christians

Go placidly and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amid the noise of war drums and rumors of war and the haste in which people conduct themselves in this world as they run to and fro. And remember the type of peace that peacemakers sow while they raise a harvest of righteousness.
As far as possible surrender all your cares and worries to God and He will give you rest, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
Be on good terms with all persons including the down and out of the society. Remember that Jesus did not come to call the righteous, but the sinners, to repentance.
Preach the gospel of truth quietly and clearly —not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. Listen to the testimonies of others, even the seemingly dull and the ignorant; they too have their stories to tell on how they personally encountered Christ.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons who would preach a gospel other than the one that was preached to you, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be people who are better or lesser gifted than yourself, both materially and spiritually.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans, even though you would not be the one who would reap the soul harvest. It is still for God’s greater glory.

Keep interested in your own effort to witness to God’s power in transforming lives through His love and grace, however humble it is since you will receive power from the Holy Spirit; it is a real possession in these changing times as we come near the end of this age.

Exercise caution in your ministry and your personal life; be self-controlled and alert and always pray for guidance and deliverance, for the world is full of trickery, and your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many persons enter through it; but everywhere life is full of heroism. Therefore, nurture your faith which comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

Be led by the Holy Spirit. Especially, return God’s affection. Never ever doubt God’s love and faithfulness; for in the face of occasional bouts with spiritual aridity and disenchantment, He is good and His love endures forever.

Take delight in God’s statutes since these are your counselors; flee the evil desires and surrender the things of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace.

Nurture strength through the Holy Spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune, for He will teach you all things and what you should say. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings: the advent of the four horsemen of Apocalypse; natural disasters; man-made calamities; and the triumph of evil. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as His own child. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

You are a child of God, no less than God’s one and only Son gave His life for you so that you’ll have eternal life. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the creation waits in eager expectation for you to be revealed.

Therefore, be thankful for being at peace with God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; in the noisy confusion of life, may your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

With all its sham, drudgery, bondage to sin, the fall and decay of creation, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.

Strive to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given to you—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. Remember that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.


(Based on Desiderata by Max Ehrmann and various Scriptural verses)

Notes:


1. “make disciples”: Matthew 28:19
2. “rumors of war”: Matthew 24:6
3. “run to and fro”: Daniel 12:4
4. “ peacemakers who sow”: James 3:18
5. “will give you rest…yoke is easy”: Matthew 11:28-30
6. “not come”: Mark 2:17
7. “preach the gospel”: 1 Corinthians 1:17
8. “preach a gospel other”: Galatians 1:8
9. “enemy the devil”: 1 Peter 5:8
10. “for wide”: Matthew 7:13
11. “faith comes”: Romans 10:17
12. “He is good”: 1 Chronicles 16:34
13. “statutes”: Psalm 119:24
14. “flee the evil”: 2 Timothy 2:22
15. “teach you”:John 14:26
16. “what you”: Luke 12:12
17. “but those”: Isaiah 40:31
18. “endure hardship”: Hebrews 12:7
19. “be completely”: Ephesians 4:2
20. “one and only”: John 3:16
21. “the creation”: Romans 8:19
22. “who reconciled”: 2 Corinthians 5:18
23. “may your”” 1 Thessalonians 5:23
24. “all the days”: Proverbs 15:15
25. “finish the race”: Acts 20:24
26. “He who began”” Philippians 1:6