14 Aug JESUS – The Ultimate Example of Being Fit

Being “Fit for Christ” means being prepared, disciplined, and committed to follow Jesus in all areas of life —spiritually, physically, emotionally and mentally. It involves living in a way that honors God and equips us to serve Him effectively and productively. To get fit for Christ, the most reliable example to be followed is Jesus Himself because He exemplified spiritual, physical, and mental fitness in His life and through His ministry. He was 100% Man and 100% God. When we study His character, we find that He is the perfect example of holistic fitness which pleases God the father. The Bible states in Lk 2:52, “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”

I. Jesus’ Spiritual Fitness (Strong Relationship with God)

a. Prayer Life – Jesus always gave importance to prayer. He often withdrew to pray and spend personal time alone with God His Father (Lk 5:16, Mk 1:35). He taught His disciples the art of prayer. He never did any task without consulting His Father. He would go frequently to the Mt of Olives to spend time in prayer, and He did this even before He was arrested.

b. Fasting and Spiritual Discipline – He being God Himself, He did not need any spiritual discipline which we humans need but still He refrained Himself from eating and from His daily affairs for 40 days in the wilderness, fasting and praying in order to get prepared for the ministry and the opposition from Satan (Mt 4:1-11).

c. Knowledge of Scripture – At the age of twelve, His parents found Him sitting in the temple courts with teachers listening to them and questioning them. Everyone who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. He used to preach with authority because He was the True Authority of the scriptures. He used the scriptures to confront Satan in the wilderness (Mt 4:4,7,10).

d. Complete Obedience to God – He knew that He is God and came to this earth with a purpose but found it hard to fulfill that purpose as a man. The Bible says that His soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death, and He asked His father, if it was possible, to take the cup of suffering from Him. “Yet not as I will but as you will”. He bore physical pain, mental agony and emotional distress but still was obedient to His Father. Phil 2: 8, says that He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on the cross!

e. Kept Himself pure – It is recorded in the Bible that He kept Himself pure, He did not know sin. Pilate also did not find Him guilty of anything. He was fully man and yet did not get tempted by carnal/fleshly things. Several Bible verses confirm that He did not commit even a single sin.
We must also stay connected with God to know and obey His will, keeping ourselves pure from worldly affairs. As a follower of Christ, we ought to follow the example of Jesus Christ as we are on the journey to becoming more like Him. Being spiritually fit like Jesus will certainly help you and me to overcome temptations and confront the witty ways of Satan and we will become more like Jesus and grow in perfection.

II. Jesus’ Physical Fitness (Strong, Active Lifestyle)

Physically Active Life – These days our physical activities are mostly neglected. Our daily routine is that of long working hours in the offices, sitting on our office chairs and after office time, we resume sitting . at home watching television, our phones, laptops and tablets. Exercise, a short walk or playing outdoor games are no more part of this fast-paced life. But when we look at Jesus, we understand that He used to walk long distances (Mt 9:35, Jn 4:6). Early in the morning, He would walk to the mountains for prayer. He worked as a carpenter also (which is again a hard physical task).

Endurance Under Physical Suffering – Jesus’ physical fitness enabled Him to bear the heavy cross (estimated to be 300 pounds) to Calvary. In the New Testament days, giving 39 lashes was a common practice among the Jews but some scholars say that Jesus received almost 300 lashes during the time of crucifixion. However, the Bible doesn’t give the exact number of lashes received by Jesus. He endured all these physical pains.

Caring for His Body – We give the least priority to rest in our lives. We are always occupied with one or the other task and keep ourselves busy, but Jesus always cared for His body as it was only the body (physique)which must undergo pain, suffering and even be sacrificed on the cross. He used to go to a quiet place to get rest when needed as mentioned in Mk 6:31. In Mk 6:38 also, we find Jesus asleep in the stern..

So, living for Christ is as important as dying for Him and to live for Him requires a healthy lifestyle which will in turn enable us to be more useful in His ministry. Let us evaluate our lifestyle and implement the corrections needed.

III. Jesus’ Mental and Emotional Fitness (Strong Mind & Emotional Stability)

a. Resisting Temptation – Temptations for a human being can come through the eyes, ear, body or heart, but Jesus as a human was strong enough to resist temptation. He overcame Satan’s temptations in Mt 4:1-11 three times and confronted Satan with the scriptures rather than replying from His own mind.

b. Emotional Intelligence – Looking at the stubborn hearts of the Pharisees in Mk 3:1-8, Jesus controlled His anger and deep distress. Instead He showed compassion to the man with a shriveled hand and said to him, “Stretch your hand”. When the man obeyed, his hand was restored. In Jn 11:35 also, we see that Jesus wept on hearing the news about Lazurus’ death which again shows that Jesus had an emotional bond with Lazarus and loved him..

c. Facing Challenges with Confidence – In the gospels, we see Jesus confronting religious leaders and their crafty intensions with boldness. We get a detailed description of this in Mt 23. While healing the man with the shriveled hand in the synagogue, Jesus confronted the Pharisees by saying, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath; to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to kill?”

d. Perseverance Under Pressure – He remained focused on His mission despite opposition in different places by various people. He did not give priority to the oppositions, rather He fixed His eyes on the goal for which He had come.

Conclusion
Jesus embodied complete fitness in all areas of His life. To be “Fit for Christ,” we must follow His example for our spiritual, physical, and mental well-being. Prioritize prayer, Bible study, and obedience. Care for our bodies, maintain a healthy lifestyle. Stay strong in faith, resist temptation, and handle challenges with wisdom. It’s not just about exercise or discipline but about living a Christ-centered life that honors God in every way.

1 Cor 9:24-27 – “Run in such a way as to get the prize.”

Poonam Sotra is a UESI-CND staff lives in Karnal, Haryana. She accepted Jesus as her personal saviour through UESI on 17th Sep 2006. She had been involving in UESI since 2006 as student, graduate and then as UESI staff from last 15 years. She is married to Mr. Jatinder Kumar, a Free lancer and they are blessed with a Son Imaan Isaac.