The John F. Kennedy Space Center is located in Cape Canaveral, FL. As one might guess, it is filled with memorabilia about America’s efforts to explore space. There are museums honoring various missions and astronauts from the past. Several replicas of rocket ships and space shuttles are on display throughout the grounds. Guests are even able to take a bus tour out around buildings where NASA, Space X, Blue Origin, and other space-related companies are currently preparing for the next phases of the Artemis missions to the moon and subsequent missions to Mars. It is simultaneously overwhelming and inspiring.
Is the difficulty of a thing really the best motivation for doing it?
From the moment one reaches the gates, the distinct Bostonian accent of the space center’s namesake fills the air. President John F. Kennedy’s famous speech about why we should go to the moon serves as the featured soundtrack for the entire facility. He states: “But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas? We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard…”
As iconic and inspiring as those words may be, they give me pause. I can’t help but wonder, is the difficulty of a thing really the best motivation for doing it? For most people and in most cases, I would argue it is a poor motivation indeed. In fact, humanity generally works to avoid doing things that are difficult. Surely, a greater motivation exists.
Throughout the Bible, the people of God are called, commissioned, and commanded to do difficult things.
Throughout the Bible, the people of God are called, commissioned, and commanded to do difficult things. We are to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19). We are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matt. 5:44). We are to do good to others even when they do evil to us (Rom. 12:17-21). We are to forgive others as God forgives us (Col. 3:13). We are to put the needs of others before our own needs (Phil. 2:3-4). While these things are, in fact, difficult, their difficulty is not our motivation for doing them. We do them because they are right. Or, perhaps it is more accurate to say we do them because they reflect the righteousness of Jesus.
Living out the love and grace of Jesus is incredibly difficult. In many cases, it may be easier to climb the highest mountain, to fly across the Atlantic, to take the football field against the University of Texas, or to fly to the moon; they would certainly be more enjoyable. Our task isn’t to send people into the heavens, but to bring Heaven to earth and to make full and eternal life available to all who would believe. May we do these difficult things, not because they are difficult, but because they are right.
