By DeVon Franklin
Be(a)ware of the Dog! That's the message Hollywood producer and preacher DeVon Franklin sends in The Truth About Men: What Men and Women Need to Know.
The "dog" is a metaphor for man's seemingly never-ending battle with lust.
Lust is an overwhelming selfish impulse for sexual, financial, professional, or personal fulfillment by any means necessary, even if those means are personally, professionally, or spiritually detrimental. I call this lust the Dog. Evey man has lust, aka the Dog within him, and when we allow that lust to go untrained, unmanaged, and unmastered, it can cause men to behave just like an untrained dog.
Franklin does not shy away from the tough stuff, and with good reason. This battle with lust is personal on two levels: First, this is his own fight; and second, lust severely damaged his family. Franklin discovered his father had cheated on his mom with another woman -- in his own family. That revelation sparked an obsession to get to answer two questions: (1) What is going on inside men? and Is something wrong with us?
The author is refreshingly candid. His transparency will impress you. What's more, I think it will make you want to hear what he has to say. Franklin pulls no punches. If the man doesn't master the Dog, the Dog will master the man. There's much too appreciate about Franklin's book:
1. He gives us straight talk; this is a very candid approach to a very tough subject.
2. He reminds every man that this problem is not going away, i.e. it is your battle for life (amen to that).
3. He calls out Hollywood to help change the content that contributes to lust's bite.
4. He calls out the church too. "We can talk about the fruits of the spirit, how to pray, how to preach, and how to sing praises, but rarely do we get 'real talk' about how to deal with the Dog." Ouch!
5. He encourages women (especially single women) that their worth is not tied to "giving sex" to some guy. If he can't wait, he's not worth it! I really appreciate how strong he is here. Franklin points women to their worth apart from sex, and urges them (especially single women) to draw the line. If a man rejects you because you won't "give it," that's okay. "Rejection is God's protection."
6. He addresses the addictive problem of pornography.
7. He does more than than simply preach, he offers practical help again and again: see what he says about "toughness vs enoughness," "creating a safe space," fathers, and getting outside "the box." He offers some helpful links as wells.
Franklin is Hollywood producer and unapologetic preacher. At the outset he told me, "true power to tame the Dog comes from above," and while I wasn't expecting a theological treatise on the subject, I was hoping to hear a little more of the power beyond me and within me that isn't "me." I was disappointed. That said, I appreciated his nod to the reality of lust, it's grip on men, and how to take steps to control the Dog.
As anyone who has watched someone walk their dog knows, "just because you're holding the leash doesn't mean you're the one in control." The Truth About Men: What Men And Women Need To Know will help you take control of what is on the other end of that leash.