Most of us recognize the need for discipline in our lives, but we don't always love the kind of demands usually associated with discipline.

It takes a strong exercise of self-discipline to moderate some of the activities in our lives that deserve tempering. Perhaps we consistently eat too much—but we don't love discipline as well as we think we love the food! And then there are some who get carried away with credit card spending! Or are we one of those who can't seem to buckle down to consistent daily study? Or maybe we sleep too much. It takes a genuine firmness to put those early morning hours to active use. And sometimes it's the children. We know the importance here of proper discipline, but too often its use includes the hurt feelings, tears, and even anger. It may be easier for Mom to pass the job to Dad—and then for Dad not to get the job done.

Since discipline is important, even essential, both for individuals and for society, why the reluctance? What is it that's distasteful? It is a misunderstanding of the source of discipline. Discipline is an extremely valuable moral quality that has its roots in spirituality. But the human tendency is to plant those roots in materiality.

The right kind of discipline is derived from the spiritual fact of self-government, not from the material belief of mortal will. It is this element of mortal will that is too often ineffective and sometimes even distasteful when we exercise discipline. As we learn to align our use of discipline with what Christian Science teaches about self-government rather than allow it to be linked with mortal will, we will gain a love for discipline and find its exercise natural and effective.

In reality there is only one will. It is the will of God, who is Truth and Love. There is significance in defining the only legitimate and genuine will as Truth. Such a definition precludes error, which is inherent in mortal will. Truth is perfect. Its will is unerring. Man is a spiritual idea expressive of the divine will.

Man's whole purpose—his very reason for existence—is to glorify Truth's will. The moment by moment fulfillment of this purpose is the substance of man's existence. And so man's true selfhood is the will of Truth, individualized. The government of our being is not personal—independent of God. True self-government begins to appear in our lives when we surrender to the guidance and government of Truth—the reality that actually constitutes our life. Mrs. Eddy states it this way, "Man is properly self-governed only when he is guided rightly and governed by his Maker, divine Truth and Love." ^{Science and Health, p. 106;}

Paul touched on this point when he said, "It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." ^{Phil. 2:13;} There is much to love about the working of God's will—true self-government—because there is everything to love about our true selfhood. When there is a need to exercise self-discipline, we can turn away from simply trying to use mortal will to force us into doing what's appropriate. We can love Truth and understand that its will supports and even governs proper desires. We can reject the belief that man is governed by a personal mind which, by its nature, lacks a basis for true discipline. "Man is properly self-governed, and he should be guided by no other mind than Truth, the divine Mind," ^{Message to The Mother Church for 1901, p. 20;} explains Mrs. Eddy.

And so our fundamental need is never really to exercise a personal will over a particular event. It is to relinquish the belief in a mind separate from Truth so that Truth's will can be expressed in terms of individual self-government. Of course, this step may well be backed by a determined spiritual conviction on our part. The life of Christ Jesus was a supreme example of the steadfast exercise of true self-government.

What about the discipline of our children? Isn't self-government again at the heart of the issue? It is the exercise of one will over another that too easily leads to anger and frustration. What we really want is not personal control but an encouragement of self-government under divine law. And certainly that includes an appropriate obedience to parents. We discipline our children because of our love for them, and the highest form of discipline is that which loves the essence of self-government enough to help the child express it. Mrs. Eddy writes, "Children should obey their parents; insubordination is an evil, blighting the buddings of self-government." ^{Science and Health, p. 236.} Elsewhere she recommends that children be taught self-government at an early age (see Miscellaneous Writings, p. 240).

A child is always happier and better adjusted when his upbringing is blessed with proper discipline. All of us feel better about ourselves when our lives and activities include a good measure of self-discipline. Society itself functions far more effectively when its participants are basing their lives on the kind of firm foundation that right discipline can give. But the most important factor of all is that when we love the source of discipline—the exercise of spiritually based self-government—and choose it rather than mortal will, we are moving closer to the demonstration of the allness and perfection of Truth.

Nathan A. Talbot