When Love Becomes Our Stewardship

When we think of stewardship and generous living, often times we boil it down to the money that we are willing to part with. But when stewardship is reduced to mere finances, it becomes what Pastor Ben Maxson calls a “sophisticated idolatry”—a system that centers human effort instead of God’s presence.

According to Maxson, true stewardship is not primarily about what we give but about who we are becoming in Christ. It is allowing God’s love to permeate our relationships, our work, our time, our priorities, and yes, our resources. It is trusting that “in the Master’s hands, it is enough”...including us. In this vision, generous living is not an occasional practice but the natural shape of a life transformed by the indwelling presence of Jesus.

Generosity begins with identity, not obligation. Drawing from Ephesians 2:6 and 2 Corinthians, Pastor Maxson emphasized that believers are ambassadors of a present‑tense kingdom. We live in what he described as “God’s rightful kingdom currently under enemy occupation,” and our mission is not to escape but to engage—to act as a loyal resistance through love, presence, and testimony. Generosity becomes an act of holy subversion: every time we love, give, serve, or lift up Jesus, we push back against the occupying forces of fear, selfishness, and despair.

A central theme in Pastor Maxson’s message is dependence. “No part of the Christian life can be lived in human strength; not one ounce suffices without Jesus,” he said. Generosity becomes heavy only when we attempt it with our own limited resources. But when we rely on the Holy Spirit, the One who brings the living presence of Jesus into our lives, generosity becomes natural, joyful, and almost effortless. It is heaven’s love flowing through human hands.

If this vision of generous, Spirit‑empowered living resonates with you, we invite you to join us each afternoon at 4:00 p.m. in the bottom level of the Harrell Center as we continue exploring what it means to live as God’s partners in His kingdom today.

—Benjamin Lawson