KINDNESS IS A PERSON

Abiding in Christ While Others Fight Hidden Battles

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”
—Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV)

We’ve all heard it before.

“Be kind.”

It sounds right. It sounds good. But if we’re honest, it often feels more like something you’d see printed on a mug or hanging on a wall than something deeply lived out day after day.

Because real life presses back.

Walking in kindness that comes from yourself—your own effort, your own determination—is not sustainable for very long. You can almost hear the cheerful voice saying, “Just be kind.” And sure… that works when people are easy. When they’re pleasant. When they respond well.

But what about the ones who don’t?

What about the person who snaps at you?
The one who carries an edge?
The one who gives nothing back—or worse, returns your kindness with something sharp?

That’s where it gets real.

Kindness is hard to hold onto when there’s nothing to gain from it.

Here’s the truth most people don’t say out loud:

Kindness that comes from the flesh doesn’t last.

It might look right for a moment. It might even feel right. But eventually, it runs dry.

Because true kindness isn’t something we produce.

Kindness is a person.

His name is Jesus.

When you have Jesus—and I mean truly have Him, not just in word but in life—and when your heart is turned toward Him, something begins to shift inside of you.

Not instantly. Not perfectly. But steadily.

Jesus said He is the vine, and we are the branches. A branch doesn’t strain to produce fruit. It doesn’t wake up and decide to try harder. It simply stays connected.

And when it does, life flows.

That’s how kindness works.

As you remain in Him, something begins to come through you that wasn’t there before. It’s not forced. It’s not rehearsed. It’s not something you have to keep reminding yourself to do.

It flows. 

You start to notice it in small moments.

You pause where you used to react.
You soften where you used to harden.
You respond differently, and sometimes you don’t even realize it until afterward.

And yes… you even begin to love people who are not easy to love.

Not because they’ve changed.

But because something in you has.

This isn’t a slogan.

This is a life.

Out of the love you’ve received from Him, something begins to overflow. And that overflow touches people—sometimes quietly, sometimes powerfully—but always genuinely.

Kindness becomes less about trying and more about abiding.

And then there’s another side to this.

A deeper understanding that, once you see it, is hard to unsee.

“Be kind… everyone is fighting a hidden battle.”

It sounds simple, but it’s not shallow.

That person who seems difficult…
The one who carries an attitude…
The one who feels distant, cold, or even frustrating…

They may be carrying something you can’t see.

Some are tired in ways they can’t explain.
Some are hurting in places they’ve never shared.
Some are walking through things they don’t have the strength to talk about.

And many don’t know Christ.

They don’t know the love you’ve tasted.

Not because He isn’t willing—but because they aren’t looking. Not yet.

So they keep going.

They push forward.
They fall, get back up, and fall again.

And somewhere in the middle of all of that… Christ is still there.

Still calling.
Still inviting.
Still near.

But they don’t see Him.

When that begins to settle into your heart, something changes.

You don’t excuse everything.

But you do understand more.

And that understanding keeps your heart from hardening.

Patience grows.
Forgiveness becomes possible.
Longsuffering doesn’t feel as foreign.

Not because what they did was right… but because you’re seeing deeper than the moment.

And then we look at Jesus.

Not just as a concept—but as a life.

He washed the feet of the one who would betray Him.

He looked at those who nailed Him to the cross and asked the Father to forgive them.

And even in His final moments, He turned toward a broken man beside Him and gave him hope.

That’s kindness.

Not weak.
Not passive.
Not fragile.

But steady.
Strong.
Rooted in something eternal.

So we come back to this.

Kindness is not something you force.

It’s Someone you stay close to.

And as you remain in Him, His life begins to move through you—touching people you may never fully understand.

Even people who may never thank you.

If you find yourself tired…

If you feel like your kindness has worn thin…

If your heart has become guarded after being hurt…

Come back to Him.

Not to try harder.

But to stay closer.

“Lord… I can’t do this on my own.

Let Your kindness live in me.

Let Your love flow through me.

Help me see people the way You see them.”

Kindness is a person.

His name is Jesus.

And dear one…

Be kind.

Everyone you meet is fighting a hidden battle.

With Love,
Steve Porter
www.morningglorydevo.com

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