Soli Deo Gloria
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
(1 Cor. 10:31)
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As a busy college student—a busy adult—I have much to do: classes, music ensembles, homework, violin practice, laundry, taxes, time with friends, to name a few. As I attempt to maximize the little time I have to do all these things, I’m faced with two questions: what should I do, and how should I do it? While what I do depends on the time and day and my energy level (or lack thereof), how I should do it never changes. According to 1 Cor. 10:31, I should “do all to the glory of God.”
As a musician, some of my God-glorifying work is practicing violin. Currently, I am working on the Chaconne from J. S. Bach’s Solo Partita in D minor. J. S. Bach was a German composer and musician who is widely regarded as one of the fathers of classical music. More important for Bach, however, and for us, was his identity as a Christian. This is evidenced in his inscription at the end of all his works—including my repertoire piece: “SDG,” or “Soli Deo Gloria,” which is Latin for “glory to God alone.” Through Bach’s example we may see how these three simple words teach us three powerful lessons about how we as Christians should live our lives.
To properly orient our approach and understanding, we must first consider “Deo,” which means “to God.” In every way, work begins with God and ends with God. God gave us a precedent in His six-day work of creation. According to one children’s catechism, God made us and all things “for his own glory” (Westminster Children’s Catechism #3).¹ Furthermore, God gives each of us the work we must accomplish day in and day out. Far from leaving us on our own, He even supplies us with the strength and skills to do that work. For Bach, work was primarily the act of composing music. He knew that both his incredible talent for music and the myriad opportunities to use that talent were gifts from God. And since they were from God, they ought to be used for God.
More specifically, they ought to be used for God’s glory, as indicated by “Gloria” or “glory.” Someone has to take the credit and praise for work well done. Bach could easily have claimed that fame all for himself. By perfecting every possible musical technique known at the time, he composed works profound and beautiful, meriting great applause from listeners. He strove to elicit wonder and joy, praise and admiration, from those who heard his music, but he would not take it for himself. We can imagine Bach, after finishing each piece, envisioning the applause and the compliments in his mind, yet writing “Soli Deo Gloria,”— a reminder that the glory should be given to God instead of to himself. For ultimately God is the one who deserves the credit and praise. His name should be exalted, His character extolled, His greatness exclaimed.
That glory and exaltation cannot be given to God only in part; it must be wholly given, and to Him alone foremost. For “Soli” means “alone.” In his role as a court composer for royalty and in his role as an organist and choirmaster for a church, Bach had a job to do for an earthly master. Yet he knew that his work and the glory it brought were truly for God alone. Not for himself, to promote his renown and skill. Not for the powerful and important commissioner, to please him or increase his reputation. No, but for God, the sovereign Lord and Creator, the One who gave Bach his talents and his work, that He might be the sole recipient of its honor, glory, and praise.
To remind himself to give all the glory to God alone, Bach wrote “Soli Deo Gloria” after all his compositions. This prompts us to ask ourselves, do we, like Bach, carry out all our work — at school, at work, in our religious duties, and in our leisurely activities — “Soli Deo Gloria”? The apostle Paul exhorts, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31) As we work at our day jobs or indulge our talents and hobbies, do we remember that God gave us those skills and thus deserves the fruit of them? When we create something or accomplish a task, do we do so in a way that causes people to praise and admire it as beautiful or worthwhile? And do we claim that praise for ourselves, or do we redirect it to God who alone deserves it? How often we fail, selfish sinners that we are, demanding “Soli Mihi Gloria”— glory to me alone! How can we overcome our selfish desires and glorify God instead?
Bach knew the answer to that question too. At the beginning of most of his pieces, Bach wrote “JJ,” which stood for “Jesus Juve”— “Jesus help.” We can only give God the glory He deserves if we ask His Son to help us do so. As the apostle Paul also writes, “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw - each one's work will become manifest.” (1 Cor. 3:11-13) Our work should build on what Christ began and can only continue being built by His help. As one contemporary Christian music artist said, “Those who can write ‘Jesus Juve’ before their work are much more inclined to write ‘Soli Deo Gloria’ at the end of their work” (Matt Papa).² In order to give “Soli Deo Gloria,” we must first cry “Jesus Juve!”
One of my favorite quotes from Bach is this: “I play the notes as they are written, but it is God who makes the music.” If we were to generalize that quote, it might sound something like, “I do the work as it is given me, but it is God who bears the fruit.” Or maybe this: “I do the work as it is given me, but it is God who gains the glory.” May we always strive to live all of our lives for God, trusting Him to answer that prayer and use our works for His glory.
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Notes:
¹https://thewestminsterstandard.org/the-kids-catechism/#one
²https://mattpapa.wordpress.com/2011/03/28/jesus-juve-soli-deo-gloria/