The Purpose We Were Made For

“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:21)

When we think about purpose, our minds often drift toward accomplishment, recognition, or the idea of finally “arriving.” We imagine calling as something grand—visible, successful, and perhaps even a little glamorous. But when Peter writes about our purpose, he points us back to the life of Jesus, and it looks nothing like the world’s definition of success.

Jesus’ purpose was marked by surrender, not striving. He laid Himself down in obedience to the Father. He endured rejection, accusation, and suffering without retaliation. He carried wounds that became our healing. This is the example He left us—an invitation into a life of sacrifice and service that mirrors His own.

But here’s the good news: Jesus does not call us to suffer alone. He never asks us to carry a cross that He Himself has not already carried, nor does He leave us abandoned beneath its weight. The beauty of surrender is that it positions us to receive His strength in our weakness. As Paul reminds us, His power is made perfect in our frailty.

Yes, we are promised trials in this life. The narrow road will not always feel easy. But we do not walk it in isolation. Christ Himself walks with us, strengthening us, sustaining us, and transforming even our pain into purpose. Our hardships become a place of union with Him. We share not only in His sufferings, but also in His victory and His resurrection life.

This is the paradox of the upside-down kingdom: the more we die to ourselves, the more fully His life rises within us. The more we lay down our need for status, the more deeply we taste His presence. The more we surrender, the more we discover that surrender isn’t the end of joy—it’s the birthplace of it.

Our purpose, then, is not about chasing greatness on the world’s terms. It is about being formed into the likeness of Christ—bearing His name, carrying His heart, and trusting Him to be enough in every season. It is about living a life that is both poured out and filled up—poured out in love for others, and filled up with the strength of the One who conquered the grave.

This is the way of the cross. And this is the way that leads to life.

Lord, Teach me the beauty of surrender. Position my heart in reverence before You—not striving for recognition, but resting in the truth that my purpose is to mirror Yours.

Thank You that while You call me to follow in Your steps of sacrifice, You do not leave me to walk this road alone. In my weakness, let Your strength be perfected. In my trials, remind me that You are near. In my suffering, let me remember that I am sharing in both Your death and Your resurrection life.

Give me joy in laying my life down before You. Shape me into a vessel of service, a reflection of Your love, and a carrier of Your hope. May I find true life in the upside-down way of the cross.

I open up my heart and choose to be faithful, humble, close to you. Amen.