There is a confidence and authenticity to people that are “comfortable in their own skin,” but if we’re honest, realism doesn’t always come naturally to humanity. We are experts at self-delusion and self-rationalization. Think about it. We all have at least one family member or friend that truly believes they have a particular skill, but we know the truth. Consider Uncle Festus. He loves to dance and at your cousin’s wedding he drank a little too much, as usual. Only one thing can happen now. You brace yourself for the convulsive storm of arms and legs, but you know most of the onlookers are oblivious to the spectacle about to take place. By the end of the event, he is confident that he was the life of the party even though the bride has twice cried in shame, and at least one person had to leave the dance floor in need of minor medical attention. Of course, good ole Festus leaves the wedding “more confident in his dancing gift,” but the rest of the guests depart with smart phones filled with Facebook uploads that would make Festus blush. Fortunately, he isn’t on Facebook. Like Uncle Festus, we often slide to extremes in our self-evaluation. From where does our confidence stem, and how realistic is it? After all, “liking to dance” and “being a good dancer” are two separate but valid things. What would make Uncle Festus comfortable with enjoying dancing and knowing he is mediocre at it? In a similar way, what would make us utterly confident in our faith knowing that we don’t have it “all put together” or all the answers? John has referred to his listeners as “beloved,” “little children,” and “children of God.” His words declare “you are the family of God and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” His goal is to firmly plant them in the King’s garden, a place where growth and redemption are certain, and their varied beauty endless. They believe in the name of the Son of God and His name is now part of their own. But in the midst of the beauty of His garden, John is reminding them that the deposed tyrant of the land is still menacing God’s people, even planting weeds and false gardens in their midst, and they must be cautious.