Have you ever seen an athlete with incredible natural talent but just as talented at being lazy? If so, you are rightly frustrated with how they are wasting their athletic gift. Eventually, though, their natural talent will not be able to carry them much further unless they put in the work to keep getting better.

In the end, it doesn’t matter how much talent someone is born with if they don’t properly take care and refine their game. You always get back what you put in.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul reminds us of this fact by using the image of planting seeds for a harvest. The farmer who is lazy and only throws out a few seeds cannot expect a large harvest. Consequently, the farmer who plants many seeds and works hard can expect a large harvest. Looking back at the verse, Paul says nothing about the size of the farm or how talented or rich the farmer might be. What is needed to bring in a good harvest is the farmer's work ethic. Even a farmer with a small plot of land can still have a larger harvest than a lazy farmer with a huge amount of land and resources.

This should be a joyous reminder that it doesn’t matter what cards you might be dealt. Whether you are naturally good at your sport or not, it’s the effort put in that will yield the most results. Also, note that the verse doesn’t say exactly what you will reap from your hard work. It might not be exactly what you think you deserve, but it will be what God needs you to have.