Anna Sorokin, the subject of the 2022 Netflix drama miniseries, Inventing Anna, detailing how she masqueraded as a German heiress who swindled hundreds of thousands of dollars from her friends, socialite acquaintances, and businesses, was released from jail in October.
How was she able to fool so many over the course of five years, and what can we learn from her tall tale?
Anna understood that “it’s not what you know, but who you know.”
So, she crafted a narrative about her dad gifting her with a $60 million trust fund. Going by the untraceable fictitious surname “Delvey”, she was all too happy when her victims mistakenly assumed he was a diplomat or oil-industry magnate.
Her imaginary father became the gateway to the luxurious lifestyle she desired.
Interestingly, if her dad was who she said he was, the world would still be at her feet.
So, what does this have to do with God the Father?
I’m glad you asked!
Anna recognized that by claiming her dad was rich and powerful, people would want to include and impress her so they too would benefit from her trust fund and her position.
If you believe God is who He says He is and have received Him as your heavenly Father, you have an inheritance far more valuable than money can buy.
The world is God’s footstool, and as we follow Him, we receive our heart’s desire on this temporal earth and eternally in heaven.
In a way, Anna had two fathers, one real and one make-believe.
For five years, her fairytale father allowed her to live in the lap of luxury; but the truth eventually caught up with her.
As the Creator, God is the only heavenly Father. The world is filled with ideas and claims about invented gods and fabricated nirvanas.
But ultimately, it is only through Him that we gain access to our truest desires; and only One will stand the test of time. Eventually, the truth always comes out.
Sadly, Anna’s parents did not attend her criminal trial, stating that they disowned her.
But our heavenly Father will never abandon us. God wants a relationship with you.
He invites everyone to come to His throne through Jesus Christ to receive all that we need.
Anna enjoyed many good things at the expense of others. She mistakenly believed that the only way to enjoy life was to have luxury, glamour, and prestige.
Grievously, she missed out on the best things of life.
God is the giver of every good gift. He not only provides what we need daily but He gives to us abundantly.
When we buy into the tainted view that fame and fortune is the ultimate source of fulfillment, we begin a futile journey in pursuit of a nebulous feeling.
God knows that what we are really after is soul-satisfaction.
He knows us better than we know ourselves, and so He is the only one that can give what will truly gratify us.
As a child, Anna was a quiet loner. She did not know how to choose friends. Instead, she identified people she wanted to be like and set out to impress them in the hopes that she would be accepted…and maybe, just maybe loved.
She was tragically mistaken in believing that life-enhancing relationships can be bought.
We need to be taught how to relate to people in healthy ways. Love is the foundation of good relationships. God is and gives love. We cannot give what we do not have.
When we receive from God the Father, we have love to give, and the ability to accept love from others.
(In my heart of hearts, I hope the real Anna Sorokin comes to know genuine love through God, her heavenly Dad; and that she finds true friendship.)
So, it is true that when it comes to attaining true fulfillment, it’s not what you know but who you know.
Are you ready to know the One who can give you the best things of life?
Are you ready to meet God the Father?
You can begin the greatest relationship you will ever have, a relationship that enhances every other relationship you have, by doing just two things:
Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
And…
Believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead.
Then you will be saved from the penalty of your sins and reconciled to God.
That’s it! With a genuine heart, call out to God the Father and He will answer you. If you want to know Him, He will make Himself known to you. He cares about every detail of your life and wants what is best for you.
When you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth, you will have unhindered access to the King of kings, your Father, for the rest of your life and throughout eternity.
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