I’m excited to delve into this passage that’s constantly at the forefront of my heart and mind for this year. I asked God to give me a clear direction heading into 2026 with three young children, knowing I needed HIS help in prioritizing and managing my time. His answer was to TEND to them. At first I thought it was the obvious- to feed them, bathe them, dress them, care for our home, and give them a clean and safe place to live, learn, and grow. And while that IS part of what I’m called to do as a mom and wife who loves the Lord, as I’ve done a deep digging into Gods word and the translation of this passage, God revealed how much deeper this call actually goes! Hopefully I can break it down clearly so that it impacts you as much as it did for me!

First, there are three commands with three different meanings. I use Blue letter Bible to dissect God’s word and meanings with the original Greek/Hebrew.

1- verse 15, Jesus’ first command to Peter is “ Feed My lambs”
Meaning of “feed” – “providing spiritual oversight and nourishment.”

2- verse 16, Jesus’ second command to Peter is “Tend my Sheep”
Definition of tend- “to feed, to tend a flock, keep sheep, to rule, govern, to furnish pasture for food, to nourish, to cherish one’s body, to serve the body, to supply the requisites for the soul’s need.”

3- verse 17, Jesus’ final command to Peter is “Feed My Sheep”
The definition of this form of “feed” is different than the first. It is to “portray the duty of a Christian teacher to promote in every way the spiritual welfare of the members of the church.”

I am still in awe of God’s goodness in working through this passage to reveal these truths. I am called to nourish my kids with healthy food. To serve their bodies with my own. To supply comfort, encouragement, correction, and discipline to their souls. To care for them emotionally, mentally, and physically.

BUT MAY I NOT forget, that in the midst of caring for their physical needs, I am called to care for their spiritual needs as well. To TEACH them about God’s word and to DISPLAY His character in life’s every day moments (of which I fail time and time again).

As I’ve mentioned before, this calling and perspective is one that requires self-sacrifice, daily dying to my own desires, calling out to the Lord for HIS strength, HIS patience. It is not necessarily glamorous or self-satisfying, like most of what the world is in pursuit of. It is a call to be selfless. Humble. Patient. Kind. Gentle. It does not come naturally. It is a refining call of our own as we in turn display this transformed life to the upcoming generation that lives and breathes in our own home day in and day out.

In a world where children are seen as inconveniences, hard to handle, and draining, I pray this brings a mindset shift that they are BLESSINGS. Lambs at our feet yearning to be led and cared for. To be POURED into as if life depends on it-because it actually does. They are the future, and they are our arrows we will one day release into the world. Of all the things we pursue in life, if you are blessed to be a parent, I pray this encourages you to TEND the flock that God has entrusted to you !

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