Overrated by Eugene Cho – A Book Review

At first glance the book is pretty easy to get a hold of – Are we more in love with the idea of changing the world than actually changing the world?  Eugene starts the book with bang for sure.  No spoilers of course but if you want to see someone following through with a calling just pick it up.

Eugene uses this book to simply show us our faults, and his.  The point is to help us see that we can’t truly change the world until we experience the world.  At least that is what I took from it.  Too busy is often code for too lazy.  We won’t get serious about changing the world we live in until we stop and take the time to see what that world really looks like.

The book has many inspirational little stories and valid guilt trip demonstrations.  By valid – I mean you should feel guilty when you know God is calling you to do something and you make up excuses and just don’t.  One particular demonstration from chapter 5 goes like this:

“In Luke 5 we read about what most scholars speculate to be four friends who encounter a man who was paralyzed.  The felt compassion and wanted to bring him to Jesus for healing.  Let’s be real – it wasn’t an easy task…”  Then he goes on to tell how hard the attempt must have been and if we had gotten in the situation today what might we have done when we got tired.

It continues like this: “.. You probably say, ‘Sorry Dude,’ and give up….  you hold up your phone, take a selfie of yourself frowning with the invalid… then you post it to Facebook and Twitter with this comment:

Way too crowded.Maybe next time. #Tryingtohelp #invalid #Jesus #YOLO”

This to me a valid guilt trip.  You want to help people, you feel called to help people, then HELP PEOPLE.  Don’t claim busy.  Don’t claim tired.

Jesus never claimed too busy.  Jesus never claimed too tired.  Jesus claimed the power of His Father in Heaven and he did it.

Jesus was willing to die for you and me.  Are you willing to struggle a little, or much, on behalf of others in need or do you just want to toss a couple coins in the tin cup and walk away?  This book at a minimum challenge your actions.

I like the book and I would pass it off for others to read.  I might even buy it in hindsight.  It was worth the read but not sure if I will read it again only because of style.

Blessings all.

Give with Passion!

 

the mandatory note: I was given this book for free in order to review it honestly and fairly.  There you go.  If you want to buy it you can do so on Amazon in kindle or print