What does Hebrews 12:11 mean?

In this passage, the writer of Hebrews is pointing out that merely experiencing something unpleasant does not mean we're being punished by God, or have been abandoned by Him. There are times where God uses struggles and hardships to correct us away from sin (Hebrews 6:7–8). And, there are times when we're simply being given an opportunity for growth—being "trained" into a deeper faith. This is obvious in the relationship between a parent and child, where a loving parent "disciplines" his child. Looking back, the child sees that guidance and respects the parent.

Here, the writer points out that nobody likes to be disciplined. Hardships are just that: difficult times, and a test of our faith. While in the midst of some struggle, our minds are mostly concerned with how unpleasant the situation is. Afterwards, however, we can more easily see how God used those experiences to grow us. We can see a process of maturity, driven by our discipline.

This is why the writer of Hebrews references the idea of being "trained," from the Greek word gegymnasmenois, which literally refers to "vigorous exercise." God's use of discipline, though unpleasant at the time, is much like the training of an athlete. The athlete's exercise "seems painful rather than pleasant" as it's being done. But, afterwards, the athlete sees growth and development as a result of those experiences. Faith, in that way, also grows as we endure God's discipline, helping us to produce "fruit of righteousness."