Do Not Diagnose Yourself Before You Are Diagnosed.

In Chapter 29 of The Pilgrim’s Progress, Book 2, we are introduced to a new pilgrim called Mr. Feeble-Mind.

He shared his testimony that when he came to the Lord, he was graciously received and was not rejected because of his weak appearance and feeble mind.

This is the same reception any sinner that comes to God can expect.

Mr. Feeble-Mind won my heart for a number of reasons, the first being his honesty.

Before Mr. Feeble-Mind began his pilgrimage journey with Christiana and the rest, he confessed,

"You are all strong and vigorous, but I, as you can see, am weak; I choose therefore to come later instead, lest, because of my many illnesses, I would be a burden both to myself and to you. I am, as I said, a man of frail body and mind, and I often stumble and grow weak trying to cope with things that others are able to bear.

 I don't enjoy laughing and light-heartedness; I don't like bright, festive clothing; and dislike unprofitable conversations. No, I have such a tender conscience that the things that others have the freedom to enjoy cause me to stumble. I don't yet know all of the truth and am a very ignorant Christian man. Sometimes, if I hear someone rejoice in the Lord, it disturbs me because I am not able to do it, too. I am as a weak man among the strong, or as with a sick man among the healthy, or as a lamp that is despised.

In Chapter 30 of the same book, another pilgrim named of Mr. Ready-to-halt joins the company. He had two crutches, and when he met Mr. Feeble-Mind, it was as if he saw himself. Therefore, he offered one of his crutches to him, but Mr. Feeble-Mind kindly declined the offer and said,

“I don’t intend to be lame before I am lame.”

This was very commendable of Mr. Feeble-mind. He did not want to give himself a diagnosis before he was diagnosed. He did not want to give himself any other name, apart from what the Holy Spirit had convicted him with. Had Mr. Feeble-Mind taken the crutches, he may had eventually thought he was a lame man.

This is what self-criticism does, it takes away your confidence and strength to walk in the new person that God wants you to be.

Do not make yourself crippled by lying on the bed of the paralysed. Do not make yourself lame by telling yourself you are. Do not give yourself titles, that the Holy Spirit has not convicted you of through His Word, but even more serious, do not grieve the Holy Spirit by only accepting the negative, and not the good that God says he can do for you.

As feeble and weak minded you maybe, He will accept you still.