In this week’s devotional, we read a directive about not believing every spirit. We could expound upon this instruction to advise people to not believe everything they hear or everything they see. Moreover, the text instructs people to “test the spirits”. In other words, there are many spirits, good and bad, in the spiritual realm and the Apostle Paul talks about these spiritual forces of wickedness in Ephesians 6:12. Thus, we cannot believe everything we hear even that quiet voice as it could be a trick of Satan. Therefore, we must test the spirits to determine whether it is the Holy Spirit that is speaking to us, and not the adversary. You will know if it is the Holy Spirit because He does not give you any instructions that contradict the Bible.
In the same way that we must test the spirit, we must also “test” our programs and “test” problems. When we test our programs, we are evaluating them to determine if they are yielding the desired results based on the strategies and objectives that we established at the onset of the program. When we test problems, we are conducting research to further explore a problem and to determine the best course of action to mitigate further occurrences of those particular problems.
In conducting evaluations and research, you will learn that there are different research methodologies. One approach is a quantitative study, which is objective and measurable. Another approach is a qualitative study, which is subjective and structured. There are also mixed-method studies which combine both quantitative and qualitative approaches to research. You could also employ a number of evaluation and research tools to collect and analyze the data, which further demonstrates the vast differences involved in analyzing programs and studying problems in the healthcare industry.
In reflecting on this week’s Scripture, consider these questions:
- Which type of research methodology appeals to you?
- Is it easier to design your own survey questions or should you use an existing survey to study a problem? Why?
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