Soli Deo Gloria

 by Macy Johnson

“Glorify the Lord with me;

let us exalt his name together.”

(Psalm 34:3 NIV)

 

I sign the title page of my God Sightings books with “Soli Deo Gloria.” It is a Latin term for Glory to God alone, and has been used by artists like Johann Sebastian Bach and Georg Frideric Handel to signify that their works were for the sake of praising God.

 

Soli Deo gloria is a call for me to always do the very best I can in everything God gives me to do. He gets all the credit. And I am called to encourage others to do the best they can. We must be mindful that God is always with us and knows our thoughts. Are we serving ourselves or Him?

 

I was honored to be invited to a symphony concert at Christmastime. Every year a portion of the Atlanta Symphony comes to Madison, Georgia to give a holiday performance. This year it reminded me of how much I love the symphony. One of the reasons I miss Birmingham is for the opportunity to sing in the Alabama Symphony’s chorus. We traveled to New York City to sing at Carnegie Hall one year.

 

As a piano performance major at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music my minor instrument was the harp. My professor was the principal harpist for the Cincinnati Symphony. Oh how I dreamed to one day take her place! But God had other plans, which have allowed me to serve to the best of my ability in His kingdom.

 

I cannot play the piano (or harp), or sing, or write, or do anything apart from God. He does it all through me. Soli Deo Gloria!

 

I will give my heavenly Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit credit for everything done in my life. I hope you will, too!