Purpose vs Performance
by Royce
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” —Jeremiah 1:5
Horst Schulze, the legendary hotelier who transformed The Ritz-Carlton, once made a startling statement that challenged everything we think about work and worth. He declared it “immoral” to hire people simply to wash dishes, make beds, or perform functions—because, as he put it, “We’re talking about human beings. Chairs fulfill functions. Human beings should be hired to be part of your organization, to be part of a purpose.”
Picture the audacity of this moment: a CEO in a three-piece suit walking into a room full of minimum-wage workers—dishwashers, housekeepers, bellhops—people society often overlooks or considers “replaceable.” But instead of treating them as human machinery, Schulze opened with words that must have shocked everyone in the room:
“My name is Horst and I am the CEO and president of this company. I am very important.”
You can imagine the uncomfortable silence. Where was this going?
“But no human being can claim importance over the next human being. So as human beings, we are equally important… If you don’t come to work and make beds, we have a disaster. If I don’t come to work, nobody will even know.”
In that stunning moment, the most powerful person in the company told the “least important” people that they were actually more essential than he was. He didn’t just give them a pep talk—he revolutionized their understanding of their own worth.
Then he delivered the final blow to conventional thinking: “You were not hired. You were selected.”
With those words, he elevated their dignity and transformed their identity. These weren’t just people filling job slots; they were chosen participants in something greater. Schulze understood what Adam Smith had discovered 300 years earlier: “Human beings cannot relate to orders and direction, but they can relate to objective and motive.” People need purpose, not just paychecks.
His approach was so counter-cultural that it literally changed lives. Suddenly, a bellhop wasn’t just carrying bags—he was creating experiences. A housekeeper wasn’t just cleaning rooms—she was crafting moments of excellence. They weren’t servants; they were “ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.”
His words echo a profound spiritual truth that many of us have forgotten—and one that strikes at the very heart of how God sees each of us.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” —Ephesians 2:10
God didn’t create you to be a spiritual chair—a functional object that simply performs religious tasks. You weren’t designed to just:
- Show up to church
- Check off spiritual disciplines
- Fill a ministry slot
- Complete Christian duties
You were created for purpose, not just performance.
Many Christians fall into what we might call “functional faith”—seeing themselves primarily as:
- The person who teaches Sunday school
- The one who handles church finances
- The volunteer who sets up chairs
- The member who attends faithfully
While these roles matter, when we define ourselves only by what we do, we miss who we are. We reduce ourselves to spiritual furniture instead of recognizing our identity as God’s beloved children, called into His eternal purpose.
Notice God’s approach with Jeremiah—and with each of us:
He knew you before you could perform anything
He set you apart for relationship, not just tasks
He appointed you to participate in His mission
God doesn’t recruit workers; He adopts children. He doesn’t need our functions; He desires our hearts. The Almighty doesn’t require our performance to accomplish His will—He invites us into partnership because He loves us.
“People need a purpose and to belong. It is a demand that we have as human beings generally.” —Horst Schulze
Schulze understood something many churches miss: humans are wired for belonging and meaning, not just productivity.
In God’s kingdom:
- Your identity comes from being His child, not your ministry role
- Your worth is established by His love, not your spiritual performance
- Your calling is to know Him and make Him known, whatever your function
- Your belonging is secured through Christ, not through what you contribute
Jesus consistently ignored organizational hierarchies to affirm human dignity. He spent time with tax collectors, prostitutes, and fishermen—not because of what they could do for His ministry, but because of who they were as image-bearers of God.
Similarly, in God’s kingdom:
- The CEO and the janitor have equal access to the Father
- The pastor and the volunteer have the same inheritance
- The missionary and the stay-at-home parent share identical worth
- The seminary graduate and the high school dropout can both hear God’s voice
Your role may be functional, but your identity is foundational.
Reflection
- Where in your life have you been defining yourself by what you do rather than who you are in Christ?
- What would change in your relationships and responsibilities if you truly believed God chose you for purpose, not just performance?
- How can you begin to approach one specific area of your life from your identity as God’s beloved child this week?
Prayer
Father, forgive me for the times I’ve seen myself as spiritual furniture instead of Your beloved child. Help me remember that You didn’t create me just to perform religious functions, but to participate in Your eternal purpose. Transform my heart to see myself and others through Your eyes—not as workers to be used, but as children to be loved. Give me the courage to live from my true identity in You, bringing Your love and purpose into every role You’ve given me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.