Here's a nice Vort I heard on Parshas Vayishlach from R'Y Frand.
When Yaacov's family was meeting Esav, the Torah mentions Leah and the handmaids came forward, and then the children. But by Rachel, it says "Vayigash Yoseph ve Rachel," "Yoseph and Rachel came forward." Why did Yoseph go first, but all the other children went after their mother? Rashi explains that Yoseph said, my mother is so beautiful, maybe this rasha Esav will look at her. I will stand opposite her and block him from looking at her. From here, Yoseph was zoche to bircas haenayim.
Ok, that's nice, but how long was this going to last? Eventually, Esav was going to look past Yoseph and see the beauty of Rachel. What's the point?
The Tolner Rebbe, Rav Yitzchok Menachem (I think) answers that shielding Esav even for a few moments is better than no moment of protection.
Many times we are faced with challenges that appear too huge to resist, but resisting for just a moment is better than nothing. At least we should try saying "not today, maybe tomorrow, or not this afternoon, not this hour, in another ten minutes." Pushing off even temporarily has its virtues, and often time we'll find that we can push it off completely!