When we think about our lives, we can think of them as either a process or a product. If we think of life as a process, then we can equate it with a journey, and if from a Christian perspective, then life could be described as a daily, step-by-step walk with God. Thus, the focus is on enjoying life with God and living in the present moment as he gradually transforms us into the image of Christ. Throughout this journey, God will lead us to love and serve others, and when we see the powerful things he accomplishes in the world through us, we should rejoice and declare his glory.[1]

In contrast, if we think of our lives as a product that must be attained or arrived at, then we are inclined to live a mechanical or robotic life, meaning that our primary focus is on completing specific outcomes. As a result, we live in a relational detached way because every relationship ultimately is manipulated in order to align with our striving to be a complete, polished product.

There may be momentary enjoyment with this type of life focus as we arrive at some product of our imagination, but the enjoyment will be fleeting because another product image will fill our minds, and we will again work tirelessly to attain the new product image. Thus, our lives are mostly lived reaching for the future; when we are constantly time traveling to the future, obsessed with what we want to attain, we are not living in reality, and in our present lives, we experience delusion, emptiness, anxiety and depression.[2]

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[1] Kenneth Boa. Conformed to His Image: Biblical and Practical Approaches to Spiritual Formation (Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 2001), 256-258.

[2] Ibid., 256-258.