Reflecting on Daniel T. Gilbert's Research, Part 1: Irrevocable Choices

I stumbled across this though my thesis research...

"When people make a decision that is difficult to reverse...they are strongly motivated to rationalize the decision and make the best of it. When people can more easily undo a decision...they are less motivated to rationalize their choice because they can always change their minds. Consequently people are often happier with irrevocable choices because they do the psychological work necessary to rationalize what they can't undo. Because people do not realize in advance that they will work harder to rationalize irreversible decisions, however, they often avoid the binding commitments that would actually increase their satisfaction." (Wilson and Gilbert, 2005)

I think this is an interesting idea, and as with most things I wonder how this relates to a relationship with God. It goes without saying that it is hard to quantify how committed a person is to their relationship with God. A relationship with a being that has no physical presence is difficult to measure. So, how can you tell if you have made an "irrevocable choice" to serve God instead of an ambivalent choice? Well, I'm not quite sure, but maybe it would look something like this...

"Blessed be your name,
In the land that is plentiful,
Where your streams of abundance flow,
Blessed be your name,

Blessed be your name
when I’m found in the desert place,
Though I walk through the wilderness,
Blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord"
("Blessed be Your Name" by Matt Redman)

I believe that God forms us psychologically in ways that bring us satisfaction when we live according to his will. Or maybe he calls us to live in a way that would psychologically bring us satisfaction? Either way, God knows what he is doing when he asks us to irrevocably choose him (throughout the good and the bad times in life). Although the life of a Christian is not always happiness and sunshine, in my experience, there is an innate contentment and true joy that is brought on by being irrevocably committed to the life that God calls us to lead.