Fire Under Your Chair

Chair on Fire
Originally uploaded by Keeton C

I met a banker the other week who exclaimed motivational conferences are great for "lighting fires under your rears that wear off in seven days." I laughed and nodded at the time but hardly recognized the deepness of his sentence until I attended the Agricultural Media Summit Conference in Fort Worth, Texas.

During my stay at the conference I had the opportunity to listen to two motivational speakers during two different luncheons. One lady talked about her five biggest mistakes in her life and a man talked about how to differentiate yourself. I have to admit most of their material was good. They made me smile, laugh and think in 30 minutes; however, seven hours later (I didn't even make it a day) I am having a hard time remembering what they said.

However, during this conference I did have an epiphany: People matter, its that simple.

Still, people oftentimes do not feel like they matter. So for a short time at a conference a person is paid to tell another how WONDERFUL they are and how much they can CHANGE the world. For a few short minutes the person feels EMPOWERED and MOTIVATED; only to revert back to themselves seven days later.

So what is it that lights a true fire, one that is not found under our rear but rather in our hearts?

I believe a true spark is only ignited when we turn the fire away from ourselves and focus it on others. In a sense fire was never intended to serve itself. It was created to bring comfort and warmth on cold winter days. Each one of us often encounters a blizzard night full of trial, doubt or uncertainty. Yet, how many of us are willing to be the warm fire for someone else during their wintery night? Provide a shoulder to cry on? Tell a friend we love them no matter what they have done, are doing or will do? Loving unconditionally, having charity lights the real fire.

The Savior said it best in Mark, "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it."

The solutions to life's problems are not found with the fire people try to light under your rear. Rather they are found with the fire people make in each others' hearts; "for charity never faileth" it warms through eternity.