DISCIPLINE

At Living Grace Christian School we view discipline positively. Discipline is done in a covenantal way with loving concern for the child and his or her long-term growth in the Lord. The word discipline is related to the word discipleship, and we see discipline as an opportunity to speak into the heart and life of the child, thereby discipling him or her. Hebrews 12:5-11 provides this positive perspective toward discipline:

You have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (NIV, italics added)

Applied rightly, discipline communicates encouragement, love, and acceptance toward our children. For those trained by discipline, it yields a harvest; according to the Word of God, that harvest is righteousness and peace in the life of the child.

In the school setting, as the students learn to be at peace within secure boundaries, they are best able to learn. Children thrive within proper boundaries and respect those who consistently help them to achieve their best—both in their studies and in their character.