The Sacred Writings That Shape Us
There’s a word that stopped me in my tracks the other day.
I was reading through the book of Proverbs and came across a verse that always intrigues me—“Train up a child in the way he should go…” But the word that grabbed me wasn’t in that verse. It was in a related one. A thread that connected it.
It showed up in 2 Timothy 3:15. And it carried weight.
“…and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings…”
That word—acquainted—felt like it had something to say.
Not just about Timothy’s story. About mine. Maybe yours too.
The ideas that shape us
“Acquainted” doesn’t mean Timothy just had some exposure to Scripture. The original word implies something deeper—a kind of settled familiarity. The sacred writings weren’t just visited once in a while. They grew up with him. They became part of his internal landscape.
Scripture wasn’t just information. It was formation.
It wasn’t just content. It was companionship.
And that got me thinking about more than just the Bible.
Not just collecting—companioning.
I write a lot about noticing, collecting, and curating ideas. But this word reminded me: some truths aren’t meant to be gathered like seashells. They’re meant to be companions.
They want to shape how we notice things.
They want to influence our instincts and decisions.
They want to be with us.
And here’s the shift I’m learning to make…
We are shaped not by the ideas we visit, but by the ones we live with.
That’s the kind of life I want—for myself, for my family, for the people I coach and create for.
I want to be acquainted with truth—not just surrounded by it.
I want the Word of God, and the ideas that echo it, to be like familiar furniture in my soul. Worn in, but alive. Known, but still stirring wonder.
And that begins by slowing down enough to revisit, reflect, and remain. That’s where depth lives.
If you’re anything like me, you probably have a stack of unread books, half-sketched thoughts, and a trail of highlights waiting to be turned into something. Keep gathering. That matters.
But maybe also pause and ask:
What truth is God inviting you not just to visit—but to live with?
What idea is ready to stop being a quote and start being a companion?
Let’s not settle for being informed. Let’s aim to be acquainted.
Just like sacred writings or timeless truths, certain ideas gain power not by being loud, but by being lingering. By recurring subtly. They become part of the furniture in our minds, not just graffiti on a billboard. When we write, are we asking people to remember something… or to live with something?
This is great and happens to be exactly what I’m working on right now. I tend to rush past scripture like it’s just another task in my day.
The word acquainted captures the feeling I am after.
Thank you for this!