Delores Liesner
Activating Faith in everyday life
Put On Love
Put On – Put Off Series – Breaking the Chains that bind us #1 – Put on Love
The chorus of a favorite song* has become my prayer: 
I don’t want to be bound
To anyone but You, Master
I don’t want any chains on me
But the bonds of Your love
*by permission (Rob Bryceson, Timothy Jones & Steve Mills © 1994, 1990 – Little Peach Music, Inc. CCLI # : 565609 )
Our chains (habits, hurts, emotions, weaknesses, thoughts, desires, i.e. sins) are fierce captors that hold us – bind us – and keep us from fully experiencing the bonds of freedom in the love of Jesus Christ.
Skeletons of those who’ve “tried” on their own to – (Put OFF) – break free of their 
captors, line the path to Golgotha. Generations have been passed the torches of guilt, depression, suicide and self-esteem. We’ve limited God to our understanding and thus limited our own access to (Put ON) His unlimited power.
When we apply the biblical principle to PUT ON – (the inner man is built up by the laws of God, and the worldly veneer (the outer man), like snakeskin, will slough off.
We are such habit-dependent enablers that many small changes may go unnoticed until we have a relapse and then realize how all things are becoming new.
How to Put On the Character Qualities of Christ:
The pattern, clearly outlined in many portions of scripture such as James 4 and Hebrews 10 :
Draw near Be Renewed Put ON Put OFF
Provides guidance for our character-building meditations, and helps us to put God’s Word into action.
This pattern provides the foundation for several actions that put on the character of Christ
#1 – Put On Love 
How to draw near and desire love
Definition of love, meditation verse, thinking points, activate it, and practice it,.
Putting on love, puts off many undesirable character qualities: judging, offense, apathy, self-centeredness, superiority.
Illustration of each of the 4 steps: Repeling it, replacing it, activating it, practicing it.
Close with a challenge and practical application:
Challenge:God loved the whole world. If our heavenly creator loves the whole world, and loves you so personally, how can you not find something to love in each person you meet? Are you looking for something lovable? Are you living Christ’s love?
Journal (or share with us) about a specific opportunity you had today:
- to practice Putting on love or
- to resist judging or showing a lack of love
Be the Miracle! – with journaling pages
Delores Liesner: Author
American Christian Fiction Writers Association
Delores Liesner 