The distracted thrower: our goal is to point all our efforts in the same direction.

After watching Jeff practice the shot put, I observed: "Jeff, you have such great potential, but it is being neutralized by wasted movements. You're lowering your throwing elbow. You're allowing the shot to come out from under your chin. You are what I call a distracted thrower."

"Coach, is that a compliment or criticism?"

"Both. A distracted thrower is someone who has a lot of movement in the circle that takes away from the overall momentum of the throw. In other words, buddy, you've got the power and the ability, but your movements are not all directed toward the goal."

As a volunteer track coach at a local high school, I love working with the young shot and discus throwers. I have studied throwing techniques, which I practice myself as I continue to compete at the senior national level. And the realities of "distracted throwing" are true not only in track and field, but in life and ministry as well.

A "distracted church leader" is someone who has certain habitual actions or movements that detract from the overall momentum required to follow Christ for the maximum distance--throughout one's life. Just as shot putters work to eliminate those draining distractions, so too do I as a church leader need to address the major distractions that drain energy from my Christian life and ministry.

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Distracted by service opportunities

One such distraction is seen in the hospitable Martha. Luke 10:40 describes her as being "distracted with much serving." For her, the movements of serving Jesus pulled her away from being with Jesus and sitting at his feet, like Mary. Most of us in ministry have experienced such distraction, haven't we?

I remember teaching a group of leaders on the priority of prayer from Mark 1, when suddenly I was …