We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We do not know what to do, but we do not give up. - 2 Corinthians 4:8 ICB

On September 12, 1962, President John F. Kennedy delivered a speech at Rice University in Houston, Texas. He set a big goal for the United States: to put a man on the moon.

Kennedy said, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade [meaning during the 1960s]. We choose to go to the moon and do the other things, not because they are easy but because they are hard.” The nation responded. Less than seven years later, on July 20, 1969, millions of people around the world watched on TV as Neil Armstrong took “one giant leap for mankind” by walking on the surface of the moon.

We all need challenges! We become better when we try to do hard things.

The apostle Paul found that serving Jesus was sometimes hard, but that wasn’t a reason to stop. He kept his focus on Christ, and he wrote, “We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated! . . . We do not give up!” (2 Corinthians 4:8 ICB). The goal is worth the hard work.

With God’s help, we can serve Jesus every day—not just when it’s easy but also when it’s hard.