You asked

how might 'scattering' our time or emotional energy lead to 'increase' in a world that values hoarding resources?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Proverbs 11:24-25

“There is one who scatters, and increases yet more. There is one who withholds more than is appropriate, but gains only poverty. The liberal soul shall be made rich. He who waters shall be watered also himself.”

The book of Proverbs is a collection of wisdom sayings, mostly attributed to King Solomon, intended to teach practical wisdom for living well and justly in the world. This particular proverb speaks about the counter-intuitive nature of generosity and self-interest.

What might it look like to 'scatter' emotional energy or time wisely in areas that genuinely need it, even when it feels like a personal cost?

Then — the setting

This proverb emerged from ancient Israelite wisdom traditions, likely compiled during the Solomonic era (10th century BCE) or later periods. It reflects a society where agricultural metaphors (sowing, watering) were deeply understood and where communal welfare was often intertwined with individual prosperity. The 'scattering' often referred to giving alms, sharing harvest, or being just in business dealings, and the 'increase' was understood not just as material wealth but also as reputation, social standing, and divine favor. It challenges a purely self-interested economic model, suggesting a spiritual and social economy at play.

Across the Testaments

The main passage is from the Old Testament, a wisdom book. The New Testament significantly develops this theme of generous 'scattering' and its paradoxical 'increase.' Jesus's teachings, particularly on giving to the poor, serving others, and even 'losing one's life' to find it, deepen this concept, moving beyond material increase to spiritual blessings and eternal life. Paul's letters (e.g., 2 Corinthians 9) explicitly connect financial generosity with spiritual fruitfulness and God's abundant provision, framing giving not as a means to get rich, but as an act of faith that God honors by enabling further generosity and meeting needs.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Luke 6:38
Jesus echoes this principle, promising that 'good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over' will be given back to those who give.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7
Paul speaks of sowing sparingly or bountifully, and how God loves a cheerful giver, linking generosity to future provision.
Acts 20:35
Paul quotes Jesus saying, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive,' reinforcing the idea that giving leads to a deeper form of blessing or increase.

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