What Does the Good Life Really Mean | Jennifer Rothschild

“Husbands bring us some drinks!’” I thought I had found my new favorite verse as I read through the book of Amos. Remember Amos? Minor Prophet. Sheepherder and fig farmer. Literary virtuoso and rhetorical genius. That Amos. And since that verse is in the Bible, I got right to application that morning at the breakfast table. “Husband, bring us some drinks!” Of course, he knew exactly what drink I was referring to. Extra hot Americano with a splash of steamed half-and-half. He laughed and brought the coffee, but clearly, that’s not what the verse means. I grabbed a handful of dried figs, opened Amos, and realized that this was not my new favorite verse, because it does not represent a heart of humility. In fact, it’s just the opposite.

“Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, ‘Bring us some drinks!’” (Amos 4:1, NIV).

You read that right: Amos called these women cows. And in some versions, fat cows! Now before we dump our drinks onAmos’ head, a little backstory. Bashan was east of the Jordan in the northern part of Israel. They produced fat and healthy livestock — think thick and juicy steaks, the best! And in that day, if you were a little plump, it meant you had wealth and health. So even though Amos was not commenting on their waistline, he certainly was calling them out for their selfishness, apathy, and laziness. These indulgent women were satisfying themselves while oppressing the poor and needy. While others were left thirsty, they were drowning in wealth. It was all about them. And isn’t that what pride is?

It’s not about us.

There is a big letter “I” right in the middle of PRIDE. Jesus warns us about this destructive pride in Luke 20:45-47. The teachers of the law were like the male versions of the cows of Bashan. Sorry, fellas, you don’t get a pass on this one either. Pride knows no gender, and Amos is no respecter of persons. He is calling us all out —men, women, wealthy, poor — and inviting us to live the good life of humility.

Much like the cows of Bashan, these men were focused on themselves. They were consumers of God’s message, not carriers of God’s mission.They were consumers of God’s Word, not conduits of His will or work. We can also slip into this mindset if we don’t accept the invitation to live humble lives. We can become consumers of Christ’s message and totally miss being a carrier of His mission. Christ’s mission was to serve, not to be served. (See Matt. 20:28.) Because we are His, our mission is to serve and give our lives generously also. People who live humble lives carry Jesus’ mission and are conduits of His message.

It Is All About God.

Humility is one of those fuzzy things. Truly, the humble person rarely thinks he is humble, and often the person who is not humble thinks he is. So what does it look like to live humbly? We see three qualities of a humble person through another prophet, Isaiah. “‘These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word”(Isa. 66:2b, NIV).

1. The humble have a right estimate of themselves. Humility is being aware of God’s greatness and our own smallness. Humility has a right estimate of self and considers others as more important. (See Rom. 12:3 and Phil. 2:3-5.) Rick Warren put it this way, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.”¹ 
2. The humble have a right assessment of their sin. God esteems those who are willing to feel broken over their own sin and see how their sin hurts God and others. (See Ps. 51:17.) Humility is willing to be wrong, and the result? God lives in peace with those who are contrite and humble in spirit. (See Isa. 57:15.) To be contrite is to have remorse and repentance over sin, resulting in restored joy.
3. The humble have a right adoration of Scripture. God esteems those who tremble at His Word, who take it seriously and honor it with their lifestyle. We are to be doers and not just hearers of His Word. (See Jas. 1:22.) And when we tremble at God’s Word, nothing else can really shake us. Pride never ends well. It lulls us into a self-centered, self-gratifying mindset that leaves no room for others. It invites apathy that morphs into entitlement and indulgence that is never satisfied. Pride demands esteem from God and others. Humility esteems God and others. Pride expects to be served by God and others. Humility serves God and others. Pride says, “Bring me a drink.” Humility asks, “May I bring you a drink?” So let’s accept Amos’ invitation to live humble lives and carry Christ’s message and mission into the world. Instead of “Husbands, bring us some drinks,” let’s ask, “Thirsty world, may we bring you a drink?” As humble people who are carriers of Christ’s mission, we can offer a drink of His living water. (See John 4:14.) To your neighbor living in a drought of hope, “May I bring you a drink?” To your coworker in a desert of confusion, “May I bring you a drink?” To the stranger thirsty for kindness, “May I bring you a drink?” Humility is not just an attitude or an attribute; it is an action. Let’s live humble lives — emptied of self and full of God. May we all carry Christ’s message and mission into the world.

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Jennifer Rothschild has authored 19 books and Bible studies, including Amos, An Invitation to the Good Life (available at lifeway.com). She’s the featured teacher and founder of Fresh grounded Faith events for women and hosts the 4:13 podcast. A boy mom who’s been blind since age 15, she lives in Missouri with her very own Dr. Phil! You can connect with Jennifer at JenniferRothschild.com

1. Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002), 148.