What does Hebrews 12:7 mean?
Prior verses mentioned how great heroes of the faith suffered terrible hardships (Hebrews 11:35–38), along with their victories (Hebrews 11:33–35). The greatest example of these was Jesus, who was entirely sinless (Hebrews 4:15) and yet endured hatred and violence (Hebrews 12:3). The writer has been careful to point out that hardship is not a sign of God's abandonment. On the contrary, this is evidence that God is working to "train" us to be more like Him. Jesus was able to see His suffering as part of God's plan for future joy (Hebrews 12:2). The Old Testament itself had already pointed out that a truly loving father—like God—uses "discipline" for a child; this is not a sign of hate, but of love. The specific quote from the prior verses comes from Proverbs 3:11–12.Scripture makes it clear that good parents are those who actively, purposefully seek to guide their children. This often involves discipline, or other related terms seen in the Bible, such as reproof, chastisement, rebuke, or training. Not all of these involve punishment for some sin or mistake. In many cases, they are simply moments where we are challenged in order to provoke spiritual growth. An athlete needs to "struggle" in order to build up his ability. In the same way, our spiritual lives are able to grow when we understand hardships as a sign of God's guidance and discipline.
