Overrated by Eugene Cho

Last Updated on August 16, 2021 by ellen

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Overrated
Author: Eugene Cho
ISBN: 978-0-7814-1112-7
Genre: Non-fiction, religion
Release: September 1, 2014
Publisher: David C. Cook
240 Pages
Goodreads | Author’s Website

Many people today talk about justice but are they living justly? They want to change the world but are they being changed themselves?

Eugene Cho has a confession: “I like to talk about changing the world but I don’t really like to do what it takes.” If this is true of the man who founded the One Day’s Wages global antipoverty movement, then what must it take to act on one’s ideals? Cho does not doubt the sincerity of those who want to change the world. But he fears that today’s wealth of resources and opportunities could be creating “the most overrated generation in history. We have access to so much but end up doing so little.”

He came to see that he, too, was overrated. As Christians, Cho writes, “our calling is not simply to change the world but to be changed ourselves.” In Overrated, Cho shows that it is possible to move from talk to action.

Overrated by Eugene Cho

Many people want to change the world but few want to change themselves.  That’s the premise for Eugene Cho’s book, Overrated. Eugene Cho is a pastor who made a goal to give up one year’s salary ($68,000) to help global poverty. He and his wife set a goal and at the end of three years, were $10,000 short.  He and his wife discussed what to do. Should they give themselves more time? Should they just donate what they had saved? How could they come up with the extra $10,000 in the short time they had left?

Without asking his wife, he puts his house on Craigslist for a 2 month rental for $10,000. Someone takes him up on it and he, his wife and their two kids need to leave the house in 2 days. They spend the next 10 weeks on people’s couches and guest rooms. He realizes that he (and many others) are more in love with the THOUGHT of changing the world than actually doing what it takes to make those changes in ourselves.

I know that’s true with me. It’s easy to talk the talk but harder to walk the walk. How are we really changing the world and are we more in love with the idea than the process? Part of what Eugene Cho does to raise money is to sell his precious blue convertible. He loves cars. He loves convertibles. It’s very special to him  After selling the car, he felt sorry for himself even after God gave him so much (in his words).He asks himself at what point we should say “enough”? When do we have enough things, enough toys, enough symbols of our wealth to stop? What happens if we just stopped and instead of getting a bigger house or a more expensive vacation chose to give more generously?

Overrated by Eugene Cho has truly made me think. Am I living what I’m preaching or, am I living what Jesus is preaching? While this book does have religious undertones, it’s applicable to everyone in a variety of different ways. Do you have a health goal (maybe weight loss) that you talk about a lot but find yourself grabbing foods you should not eat anyway? Are you an environmentalist who is passionate about eco-friendly living but are still supporting those brands that destroy our environment? Are you an advocate for pets who never volunteers their time at a shelter?  Either way, are you really living what you’re preaching? This book really makes you think and you may, or may not like the answers, but you should still read it.

ellen

Ellen is a mom of a 25-year-old son and 30-year-old daughter. She is Grandma to one adorable toddler. In what little spare time she has, she loves to read, watch movies, and check out the latest toys and games.