We Brought Nothing--We Take Nothing

"But Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it." 1 Timothy 6:6-7

I love how simple yet powerful this is; it's very matter of fact and to the point. 
Let's break it down a bit:
Godliness: (from our good ole buddy Webster) "The quality or state of being spiritually pure or virtuous"
Contentment: "A state of happiness and satisfaction"
So, being content with where we're all at in our faith journey is "great gain". Now, that doesn't mean we're Mary Poppins and "practically perfect in every way" but to find contentment IN GOD brings satisfaction, joy, and great gain. I may still be going through very painful situations, hard times, or trials...but that doesn't mean I can't have joy too. Pain and joy are not mutually exclusive, they can live within one person at the same time. It's not bad for me to be in pain in the midst of joy, nor is it wrong for me to be joyful in the midst of great pain. Contentment--satisfaction--realizing that even when we have "nothing", in God we have everything.
This is my favorite part, so blunt, so in your face--"For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it." BOOM. 
Easy peasy right? We knoooow we can't take anything with us when we die (except secrets of an alternate life as a spy) but how often do we try anyways? I mean seriously...we go to school (if we're so blessed to be able to), go to college (again if able), and then get some high paying job to have all of the toys we want, to provide for our family, to get a nice house, etc. etc. etc. Sound familiar? American "dream". We are such "entitled" people as a whole, not just in America but around the world (but let's be honest, in America it's evidently in your face). NOTHING we do, say, accomplish, create, or save makes us worthy of anything. "We were dead in our trespasses..." DEAD, not "we weren't great people, but doing good things made us 'good people'" No. We.were.dead. It's ONLY by God's grace that we are alive let alone "good" and that's only because of HIS sacrifice and HIS mercy towards us and HIS love. Making us sound pretty pitiful, eh? Because we are. All of us, every single one. From the "do-gooders" to the "bum loaders" doesn't matter, we were all dead and are dead without God's grace in our lives. "For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it." SO, rather than 'heads down muddle through' mentality, let's pause for a moment, take a breath, and look for God's little and big blessings around us and how WE can bless OTHERS. 
Kapeesh? Kapeesh.

No Fear of Drought

Jeremiah 17:7-8

New International Version (NIV)

7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,

    whose confidence is in him.

8 They will be like a tree planted by the water

    that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

    its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

    and never fails to bear fruit.”

So, I don't know about y'all, but I ain't no tree, nor do I have fruit growing off me. Well, obviously not, but I mean in relation to ^ passage. I remember growing up with a very large oak tree in our back yard, I loved that tree. I spent countless hours in that tree overlooking fields and roads and homes and the vast expanse around me. It is still there today, just as strong as ever, though the house has changed many owners hands, though many bitter winter storms have passed through, it is still there, still strong, unmovable. I am no tree. 
Let's backtrack a bit...like way back...like Junior High. *Shivers* No one wants to go back there, but for you, I will. 

So, there I am...standing confidently wearing the latest fashion forward clothing whilst acknowledging everyone who is gazing in wonder at me as they pass by....by that I mean, sitting in a corner or against a wall somewhere wearing an over sized sweatshirt and jeans with some worn out tennis shoes and little to no makeup on my face with, just-rolled-out-of-bed-limp-noodle hair. Paint a pretty clear picture for you? Thought so. Welcome back to Junior High. Now, who of you was the most popular and confident person in the world in junior high? *scans the crowd...no raised hands....oh wait there's one...awkward eye contact* Well, for most of us peasants, junior high was no "glory days" time of life. I have successfully blotted out most of it in my memory, actually. In junior high we are on think we're on the cusp of greatness, that our extreme awkwardness will fade away (along with the chubbiness and pimples and greasy face and hair)...really, we were just unaware that life would hit us even harder in high-school and then as an adult. Though my family heritage roots were strong, my personal ones weren't as grounded and spread out. All to say, I was no tree. I would like to say that back then, all growing up, and even now that I was and am strong and immovable, but that's just not the case. Sure, in some situations I am, like in the fact that, for most situations, a 0.5 point is by far better than a 0.7 or 0.9. Or the fact that cookie dough is one of if not the best ice cream topping, or that the San Francisco Giants is the best baseball team...ever. You see, I can say all of those things with gusto, as absolute facts.........for myself. They are all subjective and because we as humans are so subjective, we bend, sway, move, and uproot easily. So, when those convictions are tested through storms or great fires, they can easily waiver and move. The passage above is using great imagery to say, only God is immovable, only His Word is absolute truth, not those of created creatures (including humans...and yes yes, I know that Scripture was penned by men, but it was GOD-BREATHED...that's the point). If we root ourselves in the Lord and in His unwavering truth and character, no matter the size or intensity of the storms to come our way, the heat of the fire, the appeal of the temptations, we will not be easily moved or shaken...we can and will, through the power of the Lord, stand strong. We will be like trees, flourishing, growing, deepening our roots, bearing fruit. Storms WILL come, but in Christ, we will stand.