How To Know If You Are Substituting Supplements for Solutions?

Taking charge of my health

I recently ordered vitamins to aid my journey back to a healthy weight and overall wellness. I am very sensitive to what I put in my body but these supplements advertised quality ingredients. For some reason, I subconsciously expected these vitamins to work miracles. The magic of advertising, am I right? We often find supplements for our problems but categorize them as solutions. We are then disappointed with the outcome. I ordered Anser skin, hair and nails vitamin, a women’s multivitamin, and a healthy weight vitamin. Previously, I had been taking a multivitamin and vitamin D but felt an extra boost of feeling good with buying these. “I am taking charge of my health”, I thought. I am doing something for me.

Snacks on Snacks

I had been taking the vitamins about a week but didn’t change any other habits just yet. That weekend I was spending time with my family and we decided to do an at home movie night. We went to the store and bought movie snacks. Oh man, was that a mistake. I ate peach gummy candy, chips, chocolate covered pretzels, popcorn, etc. We had so many snacks that there were leftovers so I had an encore of snacking a second day. The next 2-3 days I felt horrible. I had no energy, my emotions were out of wack, and I had no motivation to do very much. After resting for a whole day, it still took me a few days to get myself together.

I thought to myself, I have been taking all these vitamins for a week. Why do I feel so bad? That is because I applied a supplement in place of a solution. Yes vitamins are good to take but in order to feel good consistently you have to eat healthy and exercise as well. Eating healthy and exercising is the solution, vitamins are a supplement. I talk more about physical health and spiritual health in Developing Spiritual Fitness.

Supplements or Solutions?

I wonder how many areas in our life are we using supplements as a solution to a problem. We masquerade them as solutions but they are only add ons that are meant to supplement the solution. The word supplement is defined as “something that completes or enhances something else when added to it.” The healthy weight vitamins I bought for example, cannot lose weight for me. I have to add them to a healthy lifestyle so they can supplement what my body naturally does to enhance my efforts to be a healthy whole person. Supplements alone cannot provide that.

One problem I have is that I am overweight; I eat too much and do not exercise. My solution is eat smaller portions, a well balanced healthy meal, and be active. A supplement is the vitamins that I am adding to the solution to produce the outcome I am looking for.

Another problem I have, is Depression. I talk more about my experience with depression in Different levels of Surrendering to God: How to live your best life. Medication alone is a supplement, therapy alone or with medication can still be just a supplement. The solution is eating healthy, exercising, good sleeping habits, good work/life balance, doing the internal work necessary to address underlying issues and a whole lot of Jesus! All of those things together is the solution, with the addition of medication and therapy as supplements. In this scenario, this is what I have found to be true for me. It may not be true for everyone. It may be that medication and therapy are the solution for you, and all those other things are supplements.

For me, doing all of those things is the solution, anything done in isolation is just not enough to fix the problem and become a supplement on it’s own. It’s important to know and attempt to distinguish what part is the solution; the things you need to solve the problem, and what part is the supplement; the part that is in addition to the solution to enhance its effect.

When supplements do not compliment the solutions

I always try to think of things not only in the natural sense but the spiritual as well. When I think about supplements and solutions, I think of Saul. Not everything that we supplement compliments the solution.

Sauls’ Supplement

God had given Saul an assignment, the problem. He also gave Saul the solution, directions to solve the problem. The Prophet Samuel went to Saul to give him the message from the Lord, “…I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt. Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation– men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.” (1 Samuel 15: 2-3). Saul went to slaughter the Amalekites and instead of completely destroying everything he kept the best of the cattle for himself and captured the king.

When Samuel goes to confront him, Saul says, ” ‘I have carried out the Lord’s command’; ‘Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?’ Samuel demanded.” (1 Samuel 15:13-14) Saul was given the solution; he supplemented the solution with disobedience, arrogance, denial, and cowardice. This leads to the removal of him being king. “But I did obey the Lord, Saul insisted. I carried out the mission he gave me. I brought back King Agag, but destroyed everyone else. Then my troops brought in the best sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” Twice he insists that he has followed the directions given to him, when it is clear he should not have brought back the cattle or captured the king.

When the solution is clear, lets not cloud it with our own intentions. He started with one problem, an assignment really, with a clear solution and because he supplemented it with greed, arrogance, and disobedience, he created a whole new problem for himself. Read more on Utilizing Wisdom for Success.

Finding Solutions

I am challenging myself to evaluate my life. What am I doing that is supplementing a problem instead of solving it? How can I improve areas in my life by seeking and finding solutions? How do I identify supplements that are helping and those that are causing problems? The following scripture tell us what a solution is to believing the promises of God; faith and to supplement it with moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, patient endurance, godliness, and brotherly affection. There are a number of problems that I can think of where this solution and all of these supplements will be beneficial.

“In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.” 2 Peter 1:6

2 Peter 1:6 NLT

What are some areas in your life where you may be implementing supplements for solutions?