From the times of the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25) to this present age, every talented person is burden by the weight of his/her talent(s). Once your capacity and potential is discovered, it seems as though a ton of bricks is placed on your shoulders. Think of the pressure on a franchise player, or the pressure on the highest-paid or most talented player on a team. For some reason, if you are considered exceptional, even in the least bit, the pressure on you goes up at least one notch.
This burden can be summed up in one word: expectation. If you are perceived to have exceptional potential, you are expected to perform at a much high level than the rest of the pack.
For the talented bunch, the question is: Are you going to let the expectation and pressure translate to responsibility and maximum performance? Or are you going to succumb to the pressure and deny yourself what greatness would have been?
The prayer should not be for a relief of the burden, but for the wisdom and capacity to build strength under the pressure. The burden of talent is one that should be proudly carried with responsibility.
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