Early in my education career, one of the topics on which we frequently received professional development was Bloom’s Taxonomy. Terry Heick summarizes, “In one sentence, Bloom’s Taxonomy is a hierarchical ordering of cognitive skills that can, among countless other uses, help teachers teach and students learn.” I believe helping people understand these different levels of thinking within the context of spiritual understanding will help them know whether they will produce fruit for the Kingdom of God. Depending on which level you reach in your ability to think and reason through things, that will be your determination of how much your understanding of God’s Word will impact the world around you. (Spoiler: Fruit-bearing begins at the APPLICATION level.)
(I thought perhaps I would sum up this entire idea in one devotional, but quickly realized y’all don’t probably want to read a 20 page report, so I’m going to cover one level every week until it’s done!)
This week I’m going to unpack the importance (and the dangers) of the sixth level of thinking: EVALUATION.
According to Bloom’s Taxonomy the highest level of thinking is EVALUATION, which is being able to make and defend judgements on a matter, whether internally or externally. It takes a lot of deep KNOWLEDGE and COMPREHENSION, which is gathered both through ANALYSIS and SYNTHESIS, to be able to APPLY it to come to an accurate EVALUATION on a matter. This can include self-evaluation as well as defending your position on an issue presented to you by another person.
Immediately, the scripture that comes to mind is from 1 Peter 3:15 (AMPC), “ Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully.”
Until we are asked to defend what we believe, and why we as believers in Christ choose to live the way we do, we don’t always reach that highest level of thinking. Sometimes the greatest learning we ever do is when we must teach others what we know and when the truth we have inside of us is tested to the limits.
As both a former teacher and student, the word EVALUATION often comes to mind when I think about either taking or administering a test. What is an evaluation, really? It is your opportunity to compare your skills and knowledge against a set standard created by the teacher. Or as a teacher grades a test, he or she is having to judge whether a student understands enough about the topic at hand to be proficient in knowledge or skills based on what they’ve learned over time.
God is no stranger to tests, nor are His people. For thousands of years He has set the standard, told His people the standard, and then evaluated them. Deuteronomy 8:2 says, “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.” The Israelites were, as are we today, submitted to evaluations by God to test our mettles.
Spiritually, this is how we are called to live our lives: To constantly judge and hold ourselves and those around us accountable to the Word of God and to the standard of Jesus. That sentence may not sit well with many, and some will often quote the scripture, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” (Matthew 7:1) This gets very convoluted, and is why many people carry so much hurt from the Church; It is not our job to pronounce judgement on the hearts and lives of people based on what we observe and evaluate, but we are not to turn a blind eye to events and situations that occur in our own lives or those around us when we are blatantly failing to observe God’s standards.
Another well-known scripture is, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:3-4) The answer isn’t, “Since we all have issues, none of us should clearly evaluate each other and let us all sit in our own muck, lest we offend someone by telling them they aren’t perfect.” The answer is EVALUATE yourself, and get yourself together, AND THEN you’ll be in a position to offer advice, counsel, and exhortation to another person.
Jesus said we we know people by their fruits (Matthew 7:16-20). We can’t know the heart of a person, their motivation or life experiences that lead them to make decisions they do sometimes, but we can absolutely look at fruit of a life and evaluate whether or not that decision or consequences that follow are going to lead to life/peace or death/destruction. I sincerely hope that I am surrounded by friends that will help me evaluate my life, and give me encouragement or rebuke if I’m making a mess of things, and I want to be close to others who have that desire as well, and are open to being sharpened by others.
EVALUATION is right, biblical and necessary for personal growth. Defending our beliefs and actions in Christ and learning how to properly measure ourselves next the standard of JESUS will ultimately bear much fruit for the Kingdom of God. If we can turn inwardly and allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in us, and then be led by Him to assist others in their journey with love, compassion and kindness EVALUATION will be a very powerful tool of sanctification. It is when we are truly holy that we can bear the most fruit.
Thanks all for sticking with me through this six-week series! This is the conclusion week, and I hope it has been as beneficial for you as it has been for me to explore this idea. Use those higher-level thinking skills to make an impact in this world for the Kingdom of God!