Hebrews 12:3-13 - Fatherly Discipline

³ Weigh well the example of him who had to endure such opposition from 'men who were sinning against themselves,' so that you should not grow weary or faint-hearted. ⁴ You have not yet, in your struggle with sin, resisted to the death; ⁵ and you have forgotten the encouraging words which are addressed to you as God's Children-- 'My child, think not lightly of the Lord's discipline, do not despond when he rebukes you; ⁶ for it is him whom he loves that he disciplines, and he chastises every child whom he acknowledges.'

⁷ It is for your discipline that you have to endure all this. God is dealing with you as his Children. For where is there a child whom his father does not discipline? ⁸ If you are left without that discipline, in which all children share, it shows that you are bastards, and not true Children. ⁹ Further, when our earthly fathers disciplined us, we respected them. Shall we not, then, much rather yield submission to the Father of souls, and live? ¹⁰ Our fathers disciplined us for only a short time and as seemed best to them; but God disciplines us for our true good, to enable us to share his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline is pleasant at the time; on the contrary, it is painful. But afterwards its fruit is seen in the peacefulness of a righteous life which is the lot of those who have been trained under it.

¹² Therefore 'lift again the down-dropped hands and straighten the weakened knees; ¹³ make straight paths for your feet,' so that the lame limb may not be put out of joint, but rather be cured.