Scatter Brained

(Proverbs 11:24 KJV)  There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

We are in an extended set of verses that compare what the previous verse calls the righteous and the wicked.  There are many applications that I will try to touch on over the next few months when we come to this chapter. 

First, it would seem that part of righteousness is being generous and willing to share.  The righteous “scatters” (6340).  This is the simple meaning of the word.  The picture that comes to my mind is of the sower that Jesus talked about in the parable of the soils.  The farmer walks across the field taking handfuls of seed and casting it out in a broad pattern.

What this is saying to me is that I am sometimes (all the time) too OCD about my charity.  I am obsessed with making sure that I give to the most deserving.  The problem with this is that I can often end up not sharing at all.  For someone like me, scattering is a practice I need to learn.  You might have the opposite problem and need to target things more.

So?  If you are like me, learn to be more generous with the blessings that God has given you.  If you are already good at sharing, then rejoice.