Yesterday I was talking to someone, and the topic of discipline came up. The more I said the word, the more I realized how close it is to the word disciple. Right away I wrote it down so I could look it up later and see if there is any similarity.

disciple: a person who is a pupil or an adherent of the doctrines of another

discipline: training to act in accordance with rules

The similarity is definitely there. I think when most people hear the word discipline, they automatically consider it to be a negative. Parents discipline their kids, teachers discipline their students, etc. It’s usually used in a negative context.

When we think of discipling our students, do we shy away from disciplining them? Are we “training” them “to act in accordance with the rules” we want them to follow? I’m talking from a Christian ministry setting, so the “rules” are the way God calls us to live.

If we’re not able to discipline our students, we’re failing as leaders. We’re not giving them the proper training to live for God and expand his kingdom. The easy thing to do is let them go about their own way of doing things and not be confrontational, but someone seeking to develop a good disciple isn’t afraid to discipline.