So that

Whenever I am reading my bible and I see little phrases like "so that" I sort of sit up and pay attention to what is coming next. I really like to know the "why" behind things. In fact I will actually argue against things I actually believe if the I don't agree with the "why" that is behind it. In an effort to prove the invalidity of the arguement/logic as opposed to disproving the concept. I am sure it's a pretty annoying character trait. But in actuality the "so that" behind a lot of things can totally change your perception on the topic.

When i first moved to Slovakia I didn't have any furniture so I went to IKEA and bought a whole bunch of stuff. Couch, bed, chair, coffee table etc. Well if you know IKEA you know that everything comes in a box and they give you all these cute little tools to use in order to put stuff together and the instructions have great drawings so you know not to shove this piece into that section because it simply doesn't go there. Well. I don't like to read instructions. I learn by DOING (that means I am a tactile learner). I think I get this from my dad. So the first few pieces I look at and think, "aw, this doesn't look so bad. this guy goes here and these little guys go over there. little glue here, few of those tiny nails there. piece of cake" and I hop to it thinking that IKEA should hire me to work for them since I have such a natural intuition for the assembly of modular furniture. BUT then I find myself halfway through things realizing "oh! I should have done that part 1st because now I can't reach the place where these little metal guys need to be" (there may be some swear words in the original version of that thought). So I have to go back and start over. No fun. Then I start to notice that the instructions TOLD me what to do first...SO THAT i wouldn't have these problems. Those clever Swedes at IKEA knew that this step had to come before this step. SO THAT the rest of it would go toegther right. Ah ha. Yes, I see. It's not arbitrary or random or just the way it was written because it was written my some man or something. There is a SO THAT. And by the way when the IKEA instructions tell you that something is a 2 man job, it's SO THAT the huge heavy closet you are putting together doesn't fall on you and crush you under it's weight.

Well, in the bible there are a lot of SO THATs. And sometimes I read the part before the SO THAT and I think, "wait a minute. that isn't fair, or that doesn't make sense, or what's the point of that?" and then I get to the SO THAT and I say "ohhh, now i get it, it's so that" In Exodus God allowed Moses to do some crazy stuff (like turning his staff into a snake) but it was SO THAT the people would believe God had appeared to Moses and gave him power. In Exodus Moses continues to ask Pharoah to release the Israelites from captivity and he gave Pharaoh a "so that". But Pharoah only heard the part about letting good help wander off. He refused to recognize that the point of letting them go was so that they could worship the Lord. And Pharoah paid for that mistake later. In 2 Chronicles God says that the his people will be held captive (ugh, what? that is so not fair!) but it's SO THAT they would learn what it meant to serve God versus serving other kings (oh, well, in that case it makes sense). In Daniel 11:35 it says that the wise will stumble but it's SO THAT they may be refined, and purified. These are the kinds of verses that remind me that sometimes things happen that feel not great at all. Hard things happen, sad things, unfair things, horrible things. But there is ALWAYS a "so that"...we don't always get told the "so that" but it's there.

There are other sections of "so thats" that tell us why we are here. And we are told over and over again that we are here for God. Exodus 9:16 says we are raised up so that the name of God would be proclaimed over the whole earth. Isaiah 49 says God will restore Israel so that His salvation would go to the ends of the earth. We are told we are here to bring God's light to the whole earth. Matthew 5:16 says we should let our light shine before men not so we look good but SO THAT God is glorified. Isaiah 61:3 says we are "oaks of righteousness" planted to display the Lord's splendor. 1 Peter encourages us to live good lives not for the sake of being good or so we will earn points with God but so that people around us will see how radical our lives are and give glory to God because of it. That ultimately everything we do is something done SO THAT it brings glory to God.

And this all brings me to the thoughts I was having this morning. Sometimes I want to be a "better person". I want to pray more or be with God more, or understand him more, connect with the deep sides of my relationship with God. But very often I want that SO THAT I will look better. or so that people will think I am some super Christian. Or so that I will be recognized by people I respect. or so that I will feel better about myself. But then I think about the blessings and the abilities and even the challenges that God gives us and I realize that the SO THATs have a lot more to do with the people around me than with myself. That it's about wanting the holy spirit and the life of Christ to be radical in me SO THAT it shows who God is to the people around me. In the same way that the moon is bright only because it is reflecting the sun, I want to shine because of the relection of the Son. Wanting to live a life marked by the signature of Jesus not because it impresses the Christians around me but SO THAT people realize that this kind of life is only possible with the power of Christ in me. Wanting to live for Christ not simply so I go to heaven when I die. But so that I am a part of doing His will on earth as in heaven.

My desire this morning is to be in a place where I want to shine. Where I want to be a city on a hill, a lamp on a lampstand, a voice in the wilderness...SO THAT my Father in Heaven is glorified. SO THAT I become less and He becomes more. SO THAT every tribe, tongue and nation can see that only He is worthy of all the glory and honor and praise.