My Honest Experience with the Virtual Jesus Challenge: Real Life Transformation

If you’ve been following along in this blog series, you know I (Melanie, the Forty Forty Challenge's copywriter) am sharing my raw, unfiltered experience with the virtual Jesus challenge, pulling back the curtain on what it actually looks like in real life. ☕

If you’re already living on your last thread of capacity, the idea of adding anything new (even something good) sounds like a HUGE ask. 

And I don’t blame you! Just like you, my life is a never-ending, wild juggling act of a million responsibilities precariously balanced on top of the normal chaos of life. I’m really not out here completing spiritual challenges for fun between relaxing spa days. 😉

In Part 1, we talked about the big entry fears most of us have before starting something like this. 

🤔 “Do I even have time for this?” 

🤔 “Is it physically demanding?” 

🤔 “Will it drain the one brain cell I have left?” 

Then in Part 2, we tackled the next layer of questions that pop up once you actually start. 

❓ “What happens if I fall behind?”
 
❓ “What’s the accountability group like?” 

❓ “Is this sustainable long term?” 

❓ “What’s the hardest part?” 

But even after all those logistical questions, there’s one major concern all of us quietly wonder: 

🚨 “Does it actually change anything?” 

None of us need another “nice spiritual habit” that doesn’t really have any impact. It’s a waste of time. 

If you’re going to carve time out of your busy day, lace up your shoes, and give God your full attention, you need to know if it’s actually worth it. 

I wondered the same thing. 

When I started the Jesus challenge, I honestly kept my expectations low and didn’t count on dramatic results. I assumed it would be encouraging (maybe even refreshing?), but it would fade quickly. Nothing life-changing. 

So today I want to answer that question honestly, from my own experience: 

👉 Does the Jesus virtual challenge actually change anything? 

After completing the full 40 days, I can tell you exactly what happened for me: 

1. Spiritually 

2. Emotionally 

3. Physically 

So if you’ve been standing at the threshold of this virtual Jesus challenge, wondering whether it’s actually worth it for your busy life, this post is for you. 💌

Spiritual Transformation 

Before: 

On paper I look like a mature Christian. But in the privacy of my heart, I felt pretty stuck. 

I’ve been a believer for a long time, so I know all the right answers. I can quote verses, explain theology, and talk about faith all day long. 

But in the season before starting the virtual Jesus challenge, my spiritual life was pretty rocky. I’d just gone through a devastating miscarriage that turned my entire world upside down, including my time with God. 💔

It looked like this: 

• inconsistent time with God 

• feeling distant and disconnected from God, even though I knew He was there 

• a foggy, tired, and confused mind 

• no appetite for God and spiritual nourishment 

• zero motivation to pursue much of anything 

• little peace, lots of sadness and loneliness 

I had a very specific picture in my head of what “a good quiet time” looks like:  

😌 A peaceful room. 

🧠 A focused, alert mind. 

🤸 Excitement to open my Bible. 

⌛ A long stretch of uninterrupted time hearing from God. 

But this version of time with Him just wasn’t possible for me in this season. So feeling guilty, I just kind of stopped trying. 

My Goal: 

I just wanted one thing: to fall in love with God’s voice and Word again. 

It used to be the best thing in my life, and now it all seemed silent and meaningless. 😞

When I first set this goal at the start of the virtual Jesus challenge, I literally thought to myself, “Well, this is impossible. There’s no way this will ever come true.” 

During: 

The rhythm of the Jesus virtual challenge was so simple and human, it felt too easy at first. 

Every day I rolled out of bed, threw on an oversized hoodie, and shuffled down the neighborhood roads. 

Not exactly the glowing Instagram version of “time with Jesus.” 😅

I left the house depleted, sad, distracted, and anxious. 

But every day while I was out there, wandering around the neighborhood and listening to Scripture, I noticed those burdens slowly lighten and loosen their grip on me. 

And somehow, twenty minutes later, I’d walk back through my front door light-hearted and filled up. Eager to go about my day, confident, and sometimes even humming just because I felt so good. 🤯 

WHAT??

 

Who is this girl?? 

Even on the days I felt emotional or checked out, God always met me there. And for the first time in a long time, I desired to come to Him EXACTLY as I really was: distracted, grieving, messy, broken. 

After: 

By the end of the Jesus challenge, I was pretty unrecognizable. I don’t say that to toot my own horn, but to give all glory to GOD! 🙌

Slowly but steadily, here’s the transformation I saw in myself: 

• I started desiring to open Scripture again, even on busy days.

• Time with God felt easy and fun. (yes, FUN! 🤯) 

• I genuinely looked forward to spending time with Him. More than staying in bed or getting things checked off my list. 

• I stopped expecting myself to show up a certain kind of way. 

• Prayer became much more honest and therefore easier. 

• God felt close and present all throughout my life again, overflowing into the rest of my day. 

• I heard God speak very clearly to me, even about my miscarriage. 

• Scripture came alive and gripped my heart so deeply that I excitedly shared it excitedly with my family and friends. 

The goal that I thought was so unattainable, God fulfilled above and beyond what I expected. I’ve fallen back in love with His Word and His voice, and I’m eager for more of Him. 

👉 I do want to be clear, though: the virtual Jesus challenge did NOT make me “more spiritual." 

It is a very powerful catalyst that created consistent space for me and God to spend time together. 

And by His kindness and mercy, GOD alone created all that spiritual transformation. 🧎

Emotional Transformation 

Before: 

Before the virtual Jesus challenge, my emotional state could best be described as… fried. 🍳 Anyone else feel that? 

My brain felt like it had 47 tabs open, 13 of them were playing different music, and the screen was too dim to see the mouse move. 

That was me. 🥵

My life was already full and busy, and the grief from my miscarriage settled on top of it all like a heavy fog. 

Most days looked like this: 

• stressed about small and big circumstances 

• emotionally exhausted 

• mentally cluttered and jumbled 

• drowning in decision fatigue 

• constantly overwhelmed 

• running on empty for months 

It’s the stage where people ask, “How are you doing?” and you know the honest answer leads to tears, a 45 minute conversation, and maybe a good therapy sesh. So instead, you plaster on a trembling smile and say, “Busy! Busy, but good!” 👍

Yeah, that stage. 

My Goal: 

Emotionally, I wanted two things: 

1. a grateful perspective of life again 

2. to actually enjoy life instead of fighting to get out of bed and just survive every day 

I wasn’t after constant bliss and happiness, but I just wanted to breathe freely and see the world with gratitude again. 

During: 

I did NOT expect this at all, but those little daily walks turned into a mini spa treatment for my brain. 💆 They are SO POWERFUL! 

Getting myself OUT of the house, AWAY from decisions, AWAY from mental pressure, AWAY from my stress spiral opened up this refreshing mental margin I didn’t even know I needed. And WOW, did I need it. (You, too?) 🤔

Every day, I noticed that: 

• Fresh air calmed my overwhelmed nerves. 

• Movement loosened the tension in my shoulders. 

• Scripture replaced my spiraling thoughts with truth. 

• Prayer reminded me to lay my burdens at the feet of Jesus and leave them there. 

After: 

By the end of the Jesus virtual challenge, my emotional transformation was undeniable. My husband and family even commented multiple times that I seemed more chipper and free. 🥰

And it’s NOT because life suddenly got easier and I magically could hold my angel baby, but because my mind and heart were healthier INSIDE the life I lived. 

Here’s the emotional transformation I noticed: 

• My overwhelmed thoughts quieted down into manageable bites. 

• Anxiety lost its grip on my mind. 

• I felt competent to handle life one moment at a time. 

• I could confidently face the day ahead. 

• Gratitude popped back up all corners of my life. 

• I stopped feeling like I had to hoard time with God because it was too scarce. 

• And best of all… I genuinely felt excited about my life again. 

I know 20 minutes a day sounds soooo small. 🤏 

I thought so too! 

But I can honestly tell you that those 20 minutes a day are a lifeline to unhook yourself from emotional spirals and stand on solid, peaceful ground in God’s truth. 

When I walked and spent time with Jesus consistently, all that chaos and fog in my mind dissipated, and He replaced it with an acute awareness of His loving presence. 

Psalm 61:2-3 says, “From the ends of the earth I call to you when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I. For You are my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.” 

THAT example, 👆 right there, is our appropriate response to emotional turmoil. 

Physical Transformation 

Before: 

Before the virtual Jesus challenge, my body was sputtering around on fumes. It has been for years. 

Thanks to the lovely autoimmune disease of Hashimoto’s (iykyk), my metabolism was very sluggish, I had a hard time digesting food properly, and fatigue wedged itself into every minute of my day. Sleep: spotty. Energy: nonexistent. Motivation to move: forget it. 

Most days with Hashi’s look like this: 

• dragging myself out of bed like a zombie, exhausted after 10 full hours of sleep 

• stomach issues and unpredictable digestion 

• heavy, total-body inflammation 

• low energy that made basic tasks feel Herculean 

• inability to lose weight 

• hair loss I couldn’t control 

My Goal: 

I wasn’t sure how much transformation to hope for with a widespread autoimmune disease. But nonetheless, I decided I’d love to see: 

1. Daily movement improve my metabolism, sleep, energy, and digestion 

It’s just one goal, but a bit of a tall order, don’t you think? 😉

During: 

Getting up with the sun was a little rough. But once I got myself out the door, the battle was over. 💪

Here’s what I noticed in my body: 

• Walking felt restful, energizing, and oddly addictive. 

• My body never felt exhausted after walking, just pleasantly awake and alive. 

• Movement helped me stay alert for those long days. 

• It was a refreshing and relaxing alternative to sitting tensely at my desk. 

• I genuinely looked forward to walking every day, which is rare when you’re managing so much fatigue. 

After: 

By the end of the challenge, I still had Hashimoto’s, but I definitely saw tangible changes: 

• I wanted to keep walking everyday because it felt so good (so unexpected!) 

• My sleep improved to where I actually slept through the night and woke up energized. (This one was HUGE!!!) 🤯

• My energy stayed steadier throughout the day. 

• Digestion improved, especially when I walked after meals. 🚶

• I saw unexpected weight loss without changing my diet or forcing grueling workouts. 

• My metabolism got a nice little boost from the daily movement. 

• Overall, my body felt calmer, healthier, and happier. 

👉 And here’s the kicker: the virtual Jesus challenge isn’t a hardcore fitness program. 

It’s gentle, sustainable movement paired with God’s Word. That’s far more healing than any grueling workout OR than being sedentary all day. ❤️🩹

Even with the extra challenge of Hashimoto’s, the Jesus challenge met my physical goals, far more than I originally expected or hoped! 

So as you can see, small consistent movement, even for 20 minutes a day, creates very real physical results and benefits. And instead of adding pressure or stress like many fitness programs, you finish this one feeling refreshed, energized, and with a full tank. 🔋

Start Your New Chapter With the Jesus Challenge 

By the time I reached Day 40 of the Jesus virtual challenge, I was not thinking, “Whew it’s finally over.” 

👉 I kept saying to myself, “Why didn’t I start sooner?” and “I never want to stop!” 

But I also get how daunting it is when you’re considering it for the first time. It feels like another thing on your plate. You’re already so exhausted, how could you possibly add this in every day? 😟

I was happy to learn that the Jesus challenge doesn’t require any kind of perfection. Not even close. It’s small, manageable, and simple. Just 20 minutes a day to devote your mind, body, and soul to the Lord, passing all your burdens and worries into His capable hands. 🤲 

If you think about it, it’s really a paradox. The thing that sounds so overwhelming is the VERY thing that releases you from the grip of stress, overwhelm, and anxiety. 🔁

So I encourage you to stop wondering what it could be like or waiting until life slows down. Join the next virtual Jesus challenge and experience your own transformation! 

Gift yourself 20 minutes a day to meet with the living God, steward your body well, and relieve that emotional weight you carry. 

Commit Now