Article December 17, 1984 Issue

Discipline based on the oneness of Mind

SUSAN G. TERRELL

"Discipline is the kindest thing we can do for them," a fellow Christian Scientist told me. I had just begun a job where I was constantly called on to discipline young people who most of the time had no intention of being disciplined, and I felt woefully inadequate at the task. So often my attempts at discipline turned into a clash of wills where no one gained anything, and everyone ended up feeling resentful and unhappy. But as I prayed my way through each situation for the next several years, there was much improvement, and I had many outstanding proofs of God's ability to govern His own children harmoniously.

My feelings of frustration in the face of a discipline challenge certainly aren't unique. Neither was the healing I experienced as I turned to God. Through the truths learned in Christian Science, many have been helped to demonstrate harmony in even the most difficult situations.

When we think or speak of disciplining young people, we tend to relate it to specific activities—getting them to pick up their room or to come home from a date on time. True, each minor evidence of discipline is important. Yet it is vital to keep in mind the larger goal of this "kindest thing": to help the young person love to do right and learn to discipline himself.

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