Be… Do… Have

Why lasting happiness always starts on the inside

A daily devotional adapted from The Drive podcast

Three simple words hold the formula for nearly everything we want in life:

Be.
Do.
Have.

In the right order, these words unlock peace, confidence, fulfillment, and purpose.
In the wrong order, they create frustration, burnout, and disappointment.

Most of us learn this lesson the hard way.

The Trap of Getting the Order Wrong

Growing up, it was easy to believe life worked like this:

Have → Do → Be

If I had the right things, then I could do more, and finally I would be happy, confident, successful, or fulfilled.

I remember a truck I once loved—a black Dodge Durango. I was convinced that if I just had that truck, I’d feel cooler, more confident, more desirable. And for a while… it worked. Until something newer came along, and suddenly what I had wasn’t enough anymore.

The problem with building life on “Have” is simple:
Nothing external lasts.

Styles change. Possessions age. Circumstances shift. People come and go. And when the Have disappears, the Be disappears with it.

The Exhaustion of Doing More

As adults, many of us flip to a different model:

Do → Have → Be

If I just do more—work harder, give more, sacrifice more—then I’ll eventually have what I want, and then I’ll finally be content.

But this model has its own cost.

Doing without first being leads to exhaustion.
Burnout.
Resentment.
Living life on conditions that can never fully be met.

Neither model is sustainable.

The Only Order That Lasts

The truth is this:

Being must come first.

What you want to be can never be permanently created by what you do or have. True confidence, peace, happiness, and fulfillment are internal choices, not external rewards.

When you choose who you are first:

• You naturally do what that kind of person does.

• And over time, you have what that kind of person has.

You don’t become happy because life goes well.
Life begins to go well because you choose to be happy first.

You don’t gain confidence from success.
Success follows when confidence already lives inside you.

God Works From the Inside Out

This is how God has always worked.

He doesn’t start by fixing circumstances.
He starts by shaping hearts.

When we align ourselves with being first, we also align ourselves with Him. And when that alignment happens, we gain access to strength beyond our own.

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

God knows we need the Have’s.
He’s simply waiting until the Be’s are in place—because blessing us too early would do more harm than good.

Just like a loving parent.

The Fisherman and the Banker

An American investment banker was standing on a pier in a small coastal village when a small fishing boat docked nearby. Inside the boat were several large yellowfin tuna.

The banker complimented the fisherman on the quality of the fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

“Not long,” the fisherman replied.

The banker asked, “Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?”

The fisherman said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.

Curious, the banker asked, “So what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The fisherman smiled and said,
“I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take naps with my wife, stroll into the village in the evenings, sip wine, and play guitar with my friends. I have a full and happy life.”

The banker laughed.
“I have an MBA from Harvard. I could help you. You should spend more time fishing. With the extra fish, you could buy a bigger boat. Then more boats. Eventually, you’d own a fleet.”

He went on to explain how the fisherman could open a cannery, move to the city, expand the business, and eventually become very rich.

The fisherman asked, “How long would that take?”

“Fifteen to twenty years,” the banker replied.

“And then what?” the fisherman asked.

The banker smiled.
“Then you could retire. Move to a small coastal village. Sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take naps with your wife, sip wine in the evenings, and play guitar with your friends.”

If that story makes you pause, it should.

That story isn’t about ambition being wrong.
It’s about not postponing who you are meant to be.

Christ’s Pattern: Be → Do → Have

Christ lived this order perfectly.

He chose who He would be—loving, confident, faithful, patient—independent of circumstances.
Then He did what those kinds of people do.
And in time, He was given all that the Father has.

This same pattern is available to us.

Today’s Daily Challenge

Today, pause and ask yourself:

• Who do I want to be?

• What would that kind of person do today?

• Can I trust God with the timing of the have’s?

Write down one “Be” goal for today.
Then choose one small action that supports it.

Let the rest unfold.

Because when you focus on being first,
the great day takes care of itself.

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Thanks for taking time to reflect today.

For more daily devotionals, visit:
https://joshdowns.com/daily-devotionals

For gospel-centered content created specifically for teens:
https://joshdowns.com/come-follow-me-for-teens