Irregular Raids & Small Skirmishes
Crossing the Delaware is an iconic painting from America’s Revolutionary War – General George Washington standing majestic in the middle of a boat as he crosses the Delaware in anticipation of a battle in Trenton, NJ. Some historians had portrayed the Hessian mercenaries in Trenton as drunk and thus the reason for Washington’s triumph there. It was Christmas Day, after all.
Ron Chernow, writing in his biography, Washington: A Life, says that, in fact, the Hessians were not drunk. Rather, Washington’s advance men had worn down the Hessians with “irregular raids and small skirmishes” across the countryside. The Hessians’ leader, Colonel Johann Gottlieb, had to keep his men on high alert. They were, therefore, “frazzled and exhausted from constant drills and patrols” (275).
That’s why these highly-trained mercenaries fell to the far-less trained Continental Army. In less than an hour, the Hessians lost 22 in death, 84 to wounds, but 900 to capture. The upstart Continental Army – mocked as being only teenage boys and old men – only lost 2 in death plus 4 or 5 to exposure.
Sonja Lyubomirsky, in The Myths of Happiness, discusses how the daily hassles of life can be more traumatic – over the long-haul – than major crises. If we experience a major trauma – a car wreck, job layoff, suspension of a child from school – we cope with it immediately and as best we can. We deal with it and move on. We seek advice from friends. We get better training from employers. We ask for suggestions from counselors or doctors. We read books or get more information from the internet.
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In contrast, with the “irregular raids” and “small skirmishes” of life, we don’t have – or rather, do not use – these “coping mechanisms” as efficiently as we could. If you feel harassed by the ticket agent at an airline counter, you probably do not rationalize, “he/she just made a human error.” Instead, we tend to sulk and stew and steam in our irritation and aggravation. We do not seek counsel or advice from a friend on how to handle the situation. We think that is “overkill.”
Yet, those “irregular raids” and “small skirmishes” motivate us to become bitter, aggravated, impatient, and – to put it mildly – open to the advances of our enemy – the Devil. Small annoyances – not properly dealt with – can add up and lead to huge losses in our spiritual battles. We lose our temper with our children. We argue with our spouse. We insult or berate our boss or a perfect stranger. All because we did not handle the small hassles of life as maturely as we might have handled a major trauma.
Peter mentions two mechanisms for dealing with daily hassles in 1 Peter 5:6-7: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” Humility and casting our daily anxieties into the lap of the Father.
Don’t allow Satan to cross your Delaware and take your heart captive. He can do it simply by wearing you down with daily hassles. Be humble – daily. Pray to God – daily.
–Paul Holland
