For most of us we simply do not have a big enough need. When a need is big enough, it has a way of overshadowing things that would usually offend the average person.

Big needs lead to big purposes... and a big purpose will swallow up little offensives.

It’s simple... people that are easily offended are people that have small needs and therefore a small purpose. Which usually includes making life all about themselves. And if our need is all about us... goodnight, how small of a need we have and purpose we see.

Why? Two things usually motivate most people. What are they? It’s either purpose or pride. And it’s their NEED that feeds both... and depending on if it’s self centered need (like pride, making it all about ourselves) or a sacrificial need (having a purpose that’s beyond ourselves) will be reflected in how easily we are offended by what others say or do. When our pride is greater than our purpose, every little thing will trip us up. But when our purpose exceeds our pride... little offensive stand in the shadow of a greater purpose.

This is why, when our NEED IS GREATER than our pride... what [people] or [God] says to us or about us won't distract us, derail us or damage us. And if you’ve been distracted, derailed or damaged by the things people say... look back to Jesus and learn from the Master. No one has ever been more unwanted and miss understood than He... yet no one has ever had a greater need and purpose to fulfill than He. What was the outcome? Every offense they through at Him was overshadowed by His need to walk in His Father’s will and fulfill the eternal purpose He’d been given. They could not distract Him, derail Him or damage Him with their tongues or threats.

I want to use two different people to illustrate this. The nobleman in (John 4:46-54), who Jesus referred to as, “you people” and the Syro-Phoenician woman in (Mark 7:24-30), the woman Jesus called a dog, both had a great NEED. And it was their NEED that drove their PURPOSE and their NEEDS would NOT allow them to be offended by what Jesus said to them.

1. They had a Need. (Bot had sick sick children.)

2. They heard of a Name. (A Healer named Jesus.)

3. They hoped for a New Beginning. (Deliverance...)

4. They humbly would not take NO for an answer. (They were not leaving until He blessed them.)

And although Jesus referee to him as you people, and called her a dog... it didn't stop them, slow them down or shut them up, they had a NEED and it was greater than their pride so nothing He said could have offended them. Had they turned their purpose into pouting they would have walked away empty handed. But they praised Him and what He could do. Remember this... Pouters can’t be praisers... and no pouter can ever except God to meet their immediate self-centered need. Lessons we all have a NEED of learning. (Mark 7:24-30)