Stephen A. Smith Gets Candid about God, Resilience and Recognizing His Blessings
It’s clear from the moment viewers turn on sports commentator Stephen A. Smith that they know he has something to say. In a sit-down interview with Pastor Jamaal Bernard, host of “Off Script," it quickly became clear that Stephen A. Smith feels familiar with Bernard, who is the pastor of Christian Cultural Center.
Smith called Jamaal’s father his pastor for the past three decades.
“Your dad, Pastor AR Bernard, is like a father to me,” Smith said. “I don’t say that lightly.”
Life can and does get busy. It can pull us in 100 different ways. Life also has a terrible habit of knocking us down, putting hurdles in our path, often making for difficult, painful experiences and even, at times, pushing us to what feels like our very limits. Even though Stephen A. might be a nationally recognized sports commentator and one of the most recognizable faces on ESPN, the father of two knows and understands such situations well.
When asked how he gets back up after being knocked down and remains so resilient in life, he responded with a quote from Jesus recorded in the book of Luke. He added that since he has been blessed, he is required to give back and help others.
“You know, when you think about resilience, to whom much is given, much is required,” Smith said. “Why? Because it’s blessings. And you know, it’s incumbent upon us to extend those blessings to as many people as we possibly can. Whether it’s through, you know, talking to them, whether it’s through our actions, whether it’s through a combination of both. The influence that we may have - the lives that we can impact because we know others that can impact it as well, and we’ve cultivated relationships that can facilitate that kind of connection. All of those things come with it, and it’s about recognizing that you’re blessed.”
Smith went on to add that he understands how greatly the Lord has blessed him.
“Because, regardless of what trials and tribulations I endure, I can assure you that God has blessed me tremendously in a fashion that a lot of people cannot say, in this day and age, at least monetarily,” he said.
He added that "he is very fortunate to be in the position” he is and that regardless of whatever he might go through, his trials and troubles are little when compared to someone else who has not been blessed with his financial resources.
One recent professional and personal trial Smith encountered happened when he received a “thumbs-down” award from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) for his criticism of influential Black women. It’s one he called an “unfortunate situation,” “highly offensive” and a designation he believes did not deserve.
“They talked about me disparaging women,” he said. “When? When did that happen?”
However, despite what the journalist organization accused him of, he said the worst part of the whole ordeal was where he was and what he was doing when he first heard about it.
“But I will confess to you why I came across upset in the immediate moment, that I spoke on it,” he said. “Because I got the news when I was with my daughter. We were having dinner, and the news came across that they had done this to me.”
Later in the interview, Smith stressed the importance of having a relationship with the Creator.
“Listen, everybody has dreams,” he said. “It’s incredibly important to have God in your life. To get on your knees and pray - for gratitude, for guidance, for counsel - because inevitably you’re either going to need it, or you’re going to be thankful you received it. It’s important that you know that it came from a source other than yourself.”
Photo Credit: ©OffScript - ScreenGrab
Originally published September 17, 2026.
