"Back in Line" with Dr. Mosier: Drawing Near, Growing Smaller

Fasting, Faith, and the Unexpected Blessing of Time Together

Many of you who have known Ellen and me for a while have noticed that I’ve lost some weight recently. Last Sunday at church someone even stopped me and said they barely recognized me. Those of you who have lost a significant amount of weight can relate—because we see ourselves every day, we don’t notice the changes as quickly. But looking at my food and weight tracker, I’ve lost over 80 pounds in six months. I never imagined I’d reach this weight. I’m actually smaller now than I was in high school.

With such a dramatic transformation, the question I’m asked most is: How did you do it? The biggest game changer has been fasting. Not the trendy “intermittent fasting,” but true extended fasting. I fast for 36 hours twice a week—Mondays and Fridays. There’s a lot of science behind 24–72-hour fasts that I hope to share with you in the future, but today I want to explain why I started fasting in the first place.

I didn’t begin fasting for weight loss. I began fasting because I was seeking wisdom and wanting to grow closer to God. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” When you look at the true hero of all our stories—Jesus—you see that He fasted often.

Six months ago, a big opportunity presented itself to Ellen and me, and we were in deep need of wisdom and discernment. So I followed Jesus’ example and used fasting as a way to draw near to God. And wow… did it work. As I prayed more, I noticed something powerful. 

When you abstain from the most basic human need—food—you become hyper-aware of God’s presence. You wouldn’t stand in a room with someone and not speak to them, yet we do that to God all the time. Fasting reminds you that God is in the room with you. He wants a relationship with us. By design, we are built for connection. And this time of year is a beautiful reminder to lean into that—time with friends, family, and the people who matter most.

I was reminded of this during Thanksgiving break while shopping with my mom for new clothes (my Christmas present). She filled her SUV with clothes for me—I made out like a bandit. Or as my older brothers would say “a spoiled brat.” (Oh well… life is hard when you’re the favorite.) 

But what surprised me was what she said a couple days later: “That was the best Christmas present ever—spending time with you, Chris.” I thought to myself, hmmm… You bought me the clothes.

Time—your presence—is far more valuable than anything you can wrap and put under a tree.

Your friend,

Dr. Mosier