"You don't look like..."

The beginning of that phrase could be taken as either a compliment or an insult. It can be used in many different ways, and end in many different ways.

I've heard this phrase most of my life and let me tell you, it is quite annoying.... why?

Here we go!

"You don't look like..."

"...the type of person that could be popular"
  ...look at those clothes, those glasses, those shoes
  ...too fat

"...you are ready to become a Christian"
  ...too young
  ...too rebellious
  ...too many tattoos
 
"...the type to be in ministry"
  ...too female
  ...too single
  ...too imperfect

"...you have a brain disorder"
  ...too smart
  ...you don't have the physical features of someone with the disorder


There are so many others but these are the ones that I've dealt with the most or most recently.

First of all these things are very judgmental. How can someones weight or the fact that they have glasses or can't afford name brand clothes effect their popularity.

When it comes to being a Christian Jesus said "Let the little children come to me." He doesn't judge the rebellious he spent time with the wounded not the high and mighty. As for tattoos, Jesus doesn't hate ink. -_-

With ministry, being female and single isn't a problem for God he doesn't call the "qualified he qualifies the called. That also goes with our imperfections.

And when it comes to diseases or disorders, in my case my ACC just because I'm a high functioning ACCer that doesn't mean I like pointed out to me that I don't fit in with the "usual" ACCer. My physical features are mind and they don't belong to a brain disorder. When you say things like this you may think you are being nice and helpful but you are just reminding me that I don't really fit in.

Why is it we focus on what someone else looks like, what we look like. Why can't we focus on what's in the heart, popularity is my weakest example because in the real world popularity shouldn't matter but if the focus was more on the heart then on the outside looks a lot more people would be popular, wouldn't they? In fact focusing on the right thing, whats in the heart would become the "popular" thing to do.
Just some tea for thought from the mind of me! God bless my dears.