As I walked home from work one spring day, a flutter of movement caught my attention. I looked. There, on the peak of the roof, was a mockingbird, sitting happily, proudly—and singing.

His song mesmerized me. He called a simple tune of perhaps three notes, and repeated it three, four or five times. Then he sang a new tune—a single note followed by a trill—three times. Then he sang something else. Then something else again. Each new riff was totally different than the last—and completely delightful.

This bird was displaying his unending capacity for new sounds: single chirps of every pitch; trills; warbles; melodies. Perhaps he was showing off—or just enjoying the sound of his own voice—or practicing—or experimenting—or expressing his joy at the beauty of the evening—or singing to glorify the Creator who gave him a voice. Whatever the reason, this little creature up on my rooftop was being … creative.

This little mockingbird is just one fragile, tiny part of God’s creation. Yet God took care to give him such nobility, such magnificent capability. Later I learned that mockingbirds have a repertoire of some 200 songs. Listening to this one brought a tear to my eye.

I worship the God who made this bird. What an artisan He is! Creating is what God does for work, and He throws His whole heart into it. His ingenuity and creativity go on forever. He not only designs and crafts an awesome and intricate creation, He also fills it with special poetic touches.

God crafted butterflies as tiny marvels of flight engineering—then took pains to delicately paint their wings with beautiful, intricate patterns, transforming them into fluttering, dancing artwork. To feed us, God developed an infinite variety of fruits and vegetables, each with its own shape, color, aroma, texture and flavor. To serve us, He created a multitude of animals, all with diverse anatomies, abilities and personalities. He raised up mountains that inspire us with their immensity and majesty, even while they shelter wildlife and guide weather patterns. He fashioned lakes to glow and shimmer with reflections of His brilliant skies, even while they sustain myriad aquatic organisms and supply us with life-giving water and a fun place to play.

Every millimeter of creation manifests the virtuosity of our Creator. The world outside your window is the meticulous work of a master Scientist, Designer, Engineer, Composer and Artist.

Pay attention, and you can also recognize His fingerprints all over His Church, His Work, His schools, His congregations, His people. All that God does, He does with abundant vibrancy and beauty.

The master Creator wants to build that same mindset in you, whom He made in His magnificent image. He tells you in Colossians 3:23, “Whatsoever you do, do it heartily.”

In all your work—in your family, your home, your classes, your chores, your job, your activities, your hobbies, your meals, your dress—you have opportunity to cultivate quality, to strive for the superb, to elevate your thinking toward the mindset of your Maker!

What a contrast to the way of the Destroyer. Everywhere you look in Satan’s world, you see people doing things halfway. You see people lackadaisically scraping by, expending as little effort as possible, trying to get the maximum and give the minimum. Do only what is necessary—and do so grudgingly, they say. If you can get away with it, cheat the other guy.

There is no joy in that way.

God wants us to go all out in fulfilling our jobs—and then to add that extra creative touch, that splash of special. He wants us to take pleasure in doing more than is required (Luke 17:7-10). God wants you to view every task as a chance to beat back darkness and decay. He wants you to seize every opportunity to shine, to excel, to labor in a way that reflects God’s mindset and labor. In doing that, we glorify our Maker.

Think of a simple task like mowing your lawn. One teen puts it off for an extra week, then resentfully hustles through the job, cutting corners and leaving mounds of dead clippings behind. Another mows it on time and treats it as a green canvas for him to cut with precise corners, a clean trail and rows of precise and pleasing geometric elegance.

In all your labor, strive for perfection—and take note of how your thinking transforms as you do. Give your customer an extra-cheerful checkout. Spend an extra hour adding deeper original analysis to your history paper. Clean your workstation even more thoroughly than your boss requires. Pick up some candles to enhance your family’s Sabbath evening meal. Put a little flourish in your calligraphy on your thank-you note. Do the extra things that put smiles on other people’s faces.

Sing the song God wrote for you to sing, and sing it with joy! In all you do, look for ways to glorify the Creator who gave you a voice, and who is painstakingly, lovingly fashioning you in His very own image—the image of the Master Artisan, who does everything with all His heart.