Writers Blog Post: Ashley Beckford of Unite Collective
We have something special to share with you all this week! We are starting a new series that we are calling Writers Blog Posts. These posts will be written by one of our writers, discussing either a personal experience, topic, or highlighting their music. We are very excited to start the series off with our good friend, Ashley Beckford of Unite Collective. She writes about sacrifice in our daily lives and above all, humbling ourselves and giving our all to Jesus.
BLOG - A SACRIFICE OF PRAISE
by Ashley Beckford
The other day I asked my 5 year old to share his bike with his friend. He did not want to do that! In his mind, that was time away from his favorite toy and ultimately, it was a huge sacrifice!
For us, sacrifice could look like many things:
We sacrifice eating that cookie because we want to be healthy.
We sacrifice time away from our families because of work.
We sacrifice our finances to give to a greater purpose.
We sacrifice creative energy to write that perfect song.
We sacrifice our selfishness to care for those around us.
The list could go on. We sacrifice in so many ways, yet it doesn’t make it any easier. Sacrifice is hard!
Let’s turn our attention to Jesus… He was the ultimate sacrifice. He gave up His own life so that we might live. We are a sinful people in need of a Savior. Jesus offered his own body once and for all (Heb. 10:10).
In the New Testament, Paul writes about sacrifice in his letter to the Romans. Romans 12:1 "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." We are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. What does that mean? We must continually humble ourselves. We aren’t going to be perfect but we can rest in His grace. Jesus has taken our place once and for all.
Our Unite Collective song, "Take Me Wholly", is a reminder that we must give our entire lives to Jesus. We must sacrifice the things that take away from full devotion and make room for Him. The bridge lyrics read, "Take me wholly, every move I make is Yours to hold." Let Jesus take you wholly and as you listen to the song, let it become your sacrifice of praise.
-Ashley Beckford
You can listen to "Take Me Wholly" here, or watch the official video on YouTube. Assets from Unite Collective can be found on PraiseCharts and MultiTracks.
Stay well, everyone.