Your Identity: Are You Enough?

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I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you…may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. - Ephesians 3:16-19, NIV

What Makes You Confident?

There’s a social media influencer who approaches people on the streets of New York City, asking, “What makes you confident?”. Perhaps you’ve seen his videos. 

In watching these videos, it’s my hope all will boldly share that Jesus Christ is their foundation of confidence. Sadly, few do. Others reveal that their confidence is due to faith or the universe. However, the vast majority credit their supportive family. Loyal friends. Overcoming childhood struggles or a toxic relationship. Maturity. And a host of other explanations.  

Recently, a middle-aged man was featured who shared that he didn’t feel confident for most of his life. However, his list of successes and accomplishments were extraordinarily impressive, which included selling his purpose-driven business several years ago, worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

But depression set in. After the sale, this man lost his sense of purpose and community. In a separate magazine interview that I found, he mentioned seeking many types of counseling, and spent several weeks in India trying to heal. He said, “the goal was to reprogram my subconscious and my neural pathways around this limiting belief.” It was the limiting belief of not feeling he was enough, despite his many achievements.

This social entrepreneur came to understand that he had mistakenly lost his identity and feeling of self-worth to his earthly successes and failures. 

Nothing New Under The Sun

From this man’s story, how can we not think of King Solomon, the wisest mortal man to walk the planet, with many achievements and seemingly inexhaustible wealth? He had done it all. And he had possessed it all. However, in a depressive season near the end of his life, King Solomon declared, “Everything is meaningless…I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:2, NIV; Ecclesiastes 1:14, ESV). 

What happened to his identity? King Solomon had formed sinful alliances with hundreds of idol-worshipping wives who took his heart from God (1 Kings 11:1-13, CSB). He lost his identity in the Lord through disobedience, allowing it to be captured by his accomplishments and the people around him (pride and lust), resulting in depression and brokenness.

Looking For Identity and Adequacy In Ourselves

If we are looking to draw power and adequacy from within ourselves, or from the things around us, we’ll come up short. We’ll jump from project to project, experience to experience, relationship to relationship, trying to fill a God-sized hole in our heart and spirit.

Worldly affirmations, manifesting desires, self-help, and personal pep talks that aren’t rooted in God’s Holy Word nor lead by the Holy Spirit may seem to show some positive signs, but are weak and ultimately ineffectual.

After King Solomon had analyzed the meaningless things, pleasures, and pursuits of this world, the following was his conclusion:

The wisest mortal man gives us his last bit of God-given wisdom, like the blind Sampson exerting his last supernatural feat of strength before his death, while shackled by his enemies. Solomon instructs us to keep God’s commands above all else, remorseful that his lust led to losing his identity to the world. If he had only stayed obedient to keeping God’s commands.

Keeping the commandments of God is a result of truly loving Him, for Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15, NASB). And truly loving Him is a result in knowing Him: “And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3, ESV). And knowing Him is a result of total surrender to Him.

When we stay obedient, the joy and “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7, ESV).

Jesus Is Enough For Us

King Solomon was correct. Everything is meaningless in and of itself, even if altruistic and meant to do good for the world. It’s only meaningful when Jesus Christ is our “why” in all things. If Jesus is not our “why,” then we are our “why,” and that’s pride, which is sin (Psalm 118:8, NKJV). It’s only meaningful when we have Jesus at the center of all that we do and aspire to be- in goals, dreams, and plans. It’s also in what we choose to own (or rather steward).

It’s not just believing in God. It’s surrendering to Jesus Christ. It’s actively and consciously desiring to be so intimately tied to Him, that you want nothing in this universe that isn’t of Him.

We are complete in Christ and Christ alone, without regard to who WE are and what we’ve done, but rather who HE is (Colossians 2:9-10, CSB). We lack nothing in Him, as His Spirit provides Godly strength and wisdom in all our seasons (Philippians 4:13, NKJV). Therefore, take heart! May you establish your identity firmly in Christ, and be filled with Him. For God’s Word says: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16, NIV).

And if this has resonated in your heart today, you can pray right now:

Lord Jesus, I repent for idolizing my own strength, accomplishments, and earthly relationships over you. I re-surrender my life to you, placing you at the center of all that I am, all I do, and the plans you have for me. I want my identity to be firmly planted upon you and nowhere else. I thank you, Lord Jesus. It’s in your powerful and almighty name that I pray. Amen.

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Health

Oral vs Sublingual: Which Is Most Effective?

We’re all familiar with taking vitamins, supplements, and medications orally in the form of liquids, tablets and capsules. You swallow the recommended or prescribed amount by mouth. But you may be interested to learn about sublingual administration, which has some benefits over taking medications and supplements orally.

What Is Sublingual?

Sublingually administered tablets, liquids, sprays, and powders are not swallowed like those taken orally. Instead, they’re placed underneath your tongue to dissolve. Then, they’re directly absorbed into your bloodstream. 

Advantages of Sublingual 

• Sublingual doesn’t rely on the GI tract and liver. As discussed, sublingual medications and supplements get absorbed by the tissue under your tongue and pass directly into the bloodstream. This may be an advantage if you have any health conditions that affect your GI tract or liver.

• They generally start working faster than traditional oral medications and supplements. This is because they enter the bloodstream quickly. If you’re taking medication or a supplement that you want or need to work quickly, this is a big advantage. For example, the sublingual formulation of nitroglycerin is good at treating chest pain quickly. Sublingual acts much faster (2-5 minutes) than oral, which takes 30-60 minutes to go through the stomach and liver.

• They don’t have to be swallowed. If you have trouble swallowing pills, sublingual options may work better for you.

• Bioavailability (Potency): Sublingual prevents drugs and supplements from being broken down by stomach acids and liver enzymes, meaning a lower dose can be as effective as a higher oral dose.

Disadvantages of Sublingual

• It may be difficult to keep the medication or supplement underneath your tongue. Sublingual medications and supplements shouldn’t be swallowed. Some people may find this difficult to do.

• Sublingual administration isn’t possible for all medications. Not all medications and supplements can be given sublingually. This includes medications that may irritate the mouth, or ones that may taste bad.

• Sublingual administration doesn't work for medications and supplements that need to be released slowly. Some tablets or capsules are formulated to prolong the medication’s or supplement’s release into the body. This includes sustained-release products. For these medications and supplements, sublingual administration usually isn’t a good idea. 

And The Winner Is…

It depends on your needs. Sublingual administration is generally more effective than oral ingestion for rapid, potent delivery. It works within 2-5 minutes by bypassing the digestive system and liver metabolism, allowing direct absorption into the bloodstream, resulting in higher bioavailability and faster onset. Oral, however, is better for sustained release. 

Important Considerations†*

Consultation: Always speak with a healthcare provider and/or licensed nutritionist to discuss the recommended way to ingest your vitamins, supplements, and/or medications. 

_{†All health information in the articles is exclusively gathered from clinical/medical resources that have been industry vetted, with no conflict of interest in the information they present/publish.} 

_{*Holy Nutrition does not diagnose, treat, or give medical advice. Information provided is not medical advice and should not be relied upon for diagnosis or treatment. Consult with a healthcare provider or medical practitioner for any health concerns, questions, or before making any decisions related to your health. Individual health conditions and needs may vary, and therefore, professional medical advice is essential for personalized guidance. Holy Nutrition is not responsible for any harm or damage resulting from the user's reliance on the information contained in the articles.}