There are so many ways for you and me to use ALL the tools at our disposal to honor God in our day-to-day lives.

We can honor God with symphonies.

We can honor God with crafts and trades.

We can honor God with casseroles! (Or, in my case, ready-made meals from membership-based warehouse clubs!)

These ideas may sound microscopic in the grand scheme of things, but the reality is that every little thing we do can point to God, even when we don’t get the opportunity to explain our actions with a one-on-one conversation. I learned this truth best by studying the book of Esther.

Esther is a book in the Bible where God’s name isn’t mentioned even ONCE. However, the whole story points to God in a million little meaningful ways. It’s the account of a young Jewish woman whom God uses to save his people from destruction. Esther’s account is an incredible adventure—full of courage, betrayal, beauty, hate, and love—that shows God’s faithfulness in powerful-yet-subtle ways.

And even though God’s name isn’t written directly in the book, his influence is woven throughout every twist and turn.

You can see God’s power in the authority of the role Esther is given. You can witness the Holy Spirit’s influence in the ways her godly uncle advises Esther in challenging and scary situations that Esther isn’t prepared to navigate. You can celebrate the faithfulness of God’s promise of a Savior when (spoiler alert) the Jewish people are saved from being killed by a royal edict put in place by a greedy government official.

This idea has been on my mind quite a bit lately as Time of Grace launches into the theme of a new series on the topic of money. It’s got me asking myself a pretty intense question:

 Would someone be able to see God’s influence on my life based upon just seeing my bank statement?

And here’s the plot twist you might not have seen coming. I’m not talking about measuring God’s love based upon what God has given me. I’m saying that, just like the book of Esther, our spending habits can testify to our confidence in God’s authority, the Holy Spirit’s wisdom, and the faithfulness of God’s promise. The way we use our treasures and talents in this life tells a story that spreads God’s message of hope to every corner of the earth. It shows that we are not clinging desperately to each minute or penny but rather generously sharing because we wholeheartedly believe that God is exactly who he says he is: the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Maybe your bank statement already shows this in the way you faithfully give to your church each month. Or maybe it’s clear in the way you’ve supported other Christian ministries’ fundraising initiatives.

But there are so many ways you can use your finances to testify to God’s goodness. Here are some outside-the-box ways to testify to God’s goodness in the “story” of your bank statement:

• Use the memo line on a digital transaction or check to write “Jesus loves you.”
• Buy a loved one’s next birthday gift from a small business that has chosen to honor God in its business—something like a Christian bookstore or a Jesus-loving crafter.
• Name your savings account after your favorite Bible verse. (Most banks offer this “nickname” feature for free via their mobile banking or with the help of a personal banker.)
• Direct a portion of your monthly income toward supporting a gospel-rooted adoption and/or foster care agency.
• Open a new savings account specifically for the purpose of preparing for going on a mission trip. (Feel free to put this option on “repeat” too. Once you do one, you might find yourself hooked!)
• Ask your church if there’s a way you can direct your giving to a specific need that aligns with a passion or purpose you feel strongly about in a ministry or community context.

What other ways could your faith show up in your bank statement? I’d love to hear your ideas. Or, even better, share your ideas with your neighbor, your friends, your bank, or your small group Bible study! Challenge each other to keep finding new and fresh ways to spread God’s love with each and every resource you’ve been given.

At the peak of Esther’s story, she is given the opportunity to speak up to save the lives of the Jewish people or stay silent. Her uncle encourages her to be brave by saying, “Who knows? Maybe you were made queen for just such a time as this” (Esther 4:14 MSG).

You can view each dollar through this same lens. Who knows? Maybe you were given this financial blessing for such a time, challenge, or opportunity as this.