Breathing Grace: What You Need More Than Your Next Breath

Dr. Harry Kraus uses a medical model to explain grace. I have this on CD and have listened to it several times. As Christians, we don't have to earn God's favor, we already have it and we can live fully with gratitude to Christ for his sacrifice for us. The book is really a beautiful reminder that we don't have to have this heaviness over our shoulders, will I be good enough, do enough, etc.--Jesus paid the debt for our sin and our motivation for service is not out of fear, but out of love.

Breathing Grace is one book-long metaphor -- refreshing and satisfying as a deep breath of crisp, clear mountain air. Dr. Kraus has delivered a fresh look at the life-giving and life-sustaining qualities of the grace of God. He begins each chapter with a medical story. His formula is to take these physiological illustrations and apply them to our spiritual life. The continuing theme of his book is that grace is to our very soul what oxygen is to every cell of our body. He does this with the gracefulness of a dancer and the mastery of a poet. Every chapter is written in an easy-going style, like he's sitting across the dining table dazzling us with the conviction of this assertion. Breathing Grace is chock full of scripture, which effectively supports his arguments throughout the book. And while the chapters are practical and relevant, they challenge us to strive for deeper awareness of God's spectacular grace to His children. Having a medical background, I found the medical illustration to spiritual application seamless and beautifully thought out. His explanations of complex physiology are clear and concise but may be too much for non-medical types who want an easier read. However, I urge you to push through it because the point he's coming to is completely worth your concentration through the medical passages. I believe you will find his stories fascinating and intriguing on their own. Dr. Kraus repeatedly reveals his heart to the reader and endears himself to us in the process. More importantly, he points us to Christ, reminding us of His sovereignty, justice and love. Without lecturing, Dr. Kraus pleads with us to wake up to the glories of God's grace. Near the end of the book, he writes, "Take a breath and realize that you didn't deserve it. Every moment is a gift. And every moment we can function as a steward of that gift. So go ahead. Breathe in. That's God's grace. Now exhale grace on a dying world." Read this book. It will resuscitate your appreciation of God's grace - and every breath you take.

Combining riveting, everyday occurrences as a surgeon along wtih scripture, Harry Kraus shows the difference between living moment by moment by grace as opposed to relying on ourselves. For those of us who struggle with self worth, the simple, yet profound truth is that we forget to breathe in God's acceptance for daily living and end up choking on our inadequacies. It happens all the time--we begin the day with a pure heart eager to honor our Lord. Then throughout the day we become anxious, angry, resentful, insecure, suspicious of another, trying to look better than we really are--we're losing life, in need of grace and not even aware of our need for spiritual resuscitation. As I read this book, I find myself breathing deeply of God's love, moving me from worthless to worthy, and finding new freedom to breathe grace out to others. This is a book I'll pick up again and again.

It was a joy to read this book. By writing about the author's true to life experiences, he was able to captivate your interest, teach you a little about his life as an M.D. and provide some humorous stories. Very often we forget how important grace is to our walk in life and how often we need to experience it. This book brings this truth to you in a way that you won't forget.