Gravitas Through Duty
Summary of Chapter 10
Gravitas comes by grace. It is God correcting our orbits, making Himself the center. By grace, we gain weight—not in the body, but in the soul. It is not something done to us but with us. Grace is God’s help to do what He made us for: to carry His rule into creation. Our job is to take the world, form it, fill it, and bring it into order.
Masculine desires drive this task. They compel us to dominion—over ourselves and our world. Dominion is not earned; it is built into us. What must be earned is the wisdom to use it well. Proper dominion starts with accepting this duty. It is the choice to represent God, to establish right order, and to model ourselves after Christ, the perfect man.
With duty comes rules. There are virtues that shape our masculinity. Three stand out: wisdom, workmanship, and strength. These virtues are not optional; neglect them, and you fail not just as a Christian but as a man.
Wisdom is seeing the world clearly and acting rightly. It starts with fearing God and knowing His Word, then extends to understanding the world. A man must be wise to lead—to guide his family, to judge well, to stand firm. Lacking wisdom means failing in your role, but God gives wisdom freely to those who ask.
Workmanship is the skill to exercise dominion. It’s wisdom in action, not just talent but the will to work hard. God values effort over genius. A man’s duty is to be useful, to master his craft, and to serve through his labor. This is not just about productivity but about becoming a tool in God’s hands.
Strength is the ability to bear weight and do work. It’s not just physical, though that matters; it’s also mental and spiritual fortitude. Strength allows a man to act on his wisdom and sustain his workmanship. A weak man is no man at all. Strength is about standing firm, facing adversity, and fighting when needed.
Neglect one virtue, and the others suffer. Wisdom without strength is useless. Strength without wisdom is reckless. Workmanship without wisdom is futile. These virtues support and sharpen each other.
To grow strong, stop doing weak things:
Stop seeking praise. Live for God’s approval, not man’s.
Stop being self-deprecating. It shows insecurity, not humility.
Stop complaining. Men solve problems; they don’t whine.
Stop making excuses. Own your failures and learn.
Stop breaking promises. A man’s word should mean something.
Virtues produce duties. Three stand out: envisioning and planning, building and supplying, guarding and fighting.
Envisioning is wisdom applied. A man must have a mission, know his goal, and plan how to reach it.
Building is workmanship supported by strength. It’s about creating, providing, and multiplying. This includes family—choosing a wife, raising children, and ensuring they lack nothing. It’s also spiritual—training yourself and others in righteousness.
Guarding is strength guided by wisdom. It’s not passive. It’s active protection of what matters, readiness to fight for your family, your faith, your mission.
These duties form traits:
Enterprise: combining vision and action. A man takes initiative, risks, and builds.
Constancy: strength to endure. Loyalty, faithfulness, and grit. A man who stands firm is a rock for his family.
Readiness: wisdom in vigilance. Preparedness in body and spirit, ready to lead and serve when needed.
These virtues, duties, and traits shape true manhood. They reflect God’s image, carry His glory, and give us gravitas. Be a man of worth—useful to God, faithful in duty, strong in character. That’s gravitas.
Questions for Reflection
Where in your life have you neglected the virtues of wisdom, workmanship, or strength, and how has that affected your ability to fulfill your duties as a man?
How do you currently exercise dominion in your sphere of influence, and in what ways can you better align your efforts with God’s purpose for you?
What weak habits or mindsets do you need to stop in order to grow stronger in character, and what practical steps will you take to replace them with virtues that produce true gravitas?