LEADERSHIP | SELF
Being Comfortable in Your Own Skin God called you, so quit trying to be someone else By ANDY SMITH
I
don’t think I’ve ever fit in. I have always been a big guy. In fact, I was taller than my third-grade teacher and probably outweighed her. I stood out in other ways too. I was a mixed-race kid in a predominantly white community. Unlike my friends, I came from a family that received food stamps and government insurance. Even though my last name is Smith, I got saved in a Hispanic church. I pastored a bilingual church before I was fully bilingual. I served as a missionary
20
Fall 2021
in a country where I was a foot taller and at least 100 pounds heavier than practically everyone. Now I serve as the secretary-treasurer of an Assemblies of God Hispanic District — and my last name is still Smith. I could go on, but the point is I know what it is like to feel out of place. If you are in ministry, you likely can identify at some level. Perhaps you once felt like an outsider as a new leader in an unfamiliar town. Maybe you’ve felt underqualified in your role, or intimidated by the success of others.
