An Unexpected, Mighty Warrior

By Carol Eskaros

Imagine a mighty soldier going off to battle. To his chest and arms he has strapped state-of-the-art weapons. A sturdy helmet protects his head, and body armor covers his chest. Beyond his gear, his mind is set for battle. He has studied and trained for years. He thoroughly understands battle strategy and the chain of command. His body is toned. His mind is sharp. He is ready for war.

Now imagine that that very same soldier is no grown man, but rather, a child, a little girl by the age of 13.

Absurd right? No one would send a child into war!

And yet, the picture of the mental readiness of a soldier, the preparedness of his character – this is precisely what one of the greatest kings in history imagined when he described a young woman, a future wife. Taking great counsel from his own wise mother, this king wrote,

Who can find a virtuous wife?

For her worth is far above rubies.

The word for virtuous here actually means the strength and courage of a mighty warrior. A child – a girl – can have the very same courage to face life as a soldier facing battle. In fact, aspects of daily life and fearsome battles are often alike. Pressure, stress, physical exertion, mental exhaustion – even daily life needs courage, strength, and preparedness.

What’s more, the king says that this girl’s worth is far above rubies. Rubies are one of the most precious gemstones, known for their remarkable color and brilliance. But did you know, rubies are also renowned for their strength? In fact, a ruby is second only to a diamond in strength.

But what gives a child, a little girl, this remarkable virtue and worth? Two things lie at the heart of this girl’s courage and readiness. First is an understanding of her intrinsic worth. Human life has inherent value. How do you know how much something is really worth? By how much someone is willing to pay for it! An item at a market is only worth what someone is willing to pay to have it.

And that little girl is worth the greatest price of all – someone’s life. Jesus Christ, thousands of years ago, died on a cross to pay for whatever wrong that little girl, and every human being who ever lived, ever did. Her worth is far above rubies because of what Jesus was willing to pay for her life, and He paid everything. Thus, she is worth everything.

The second aspect of this child’s readiness is her education. A child who learns to read, write, communicate, and conduct basic mathematics is a child who can change her future home, her community, even her world. She becomes mentally prepared for the challenges that lie ahead, and uses what she has learned as a soldier utilizes his training in battle.

One of the greatest authors who ever lived, Victor Hugo, put it this way, “He who opens a school door closes a prison.” A child’s education is never a waste of time or effort. To the contrary, an education invests time and effort into everything a culture holds dear. As one proverb puts it, “An educated man can never be poor.”

By putting the truth of Jesus Christ, and an education into the hands of this young child, we have armed her with strength. We have prepared her, like the mighty warrior, for battle, and the victory is hers – and in fact, all of ours.

If you’d like to help prepare girls for “battle”, donate to One Life to Love’s campaign here: https://www.mogiv.com/onelifetolove/loveis/

You can read more of Carol’s heart-touching writings at www.caroleskaros.com