If God exists, why is there so much pain and suffering in the world?

Here is a little story I came across, unfortunately I don’t know the original author.

If God exists, why is there so much pain and suffering in the world?
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists." "Why do you say that?" asked the customer. "Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things." The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt.
The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist." "How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!" "No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside." "Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is that people do not come to me." "Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens is that people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world." Author Unknown.

You'll find jesus in there

This is a little story I came across one day when I was browsing the web.

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You’ll find jesus in there

The little 8 year old boy looked up at his surgeon and asked him, “What are you going to do to me ?”

The surgeon replied, ”I am going to have a look inside your heart to asses the damage of the accident.”

The little boy said, “You’ll find Jesus in there.”

The surgeon said, “I’ll be looking at the muscle tissue, bruising and lining around your heart.”

The little boy replied, “Don’t forget to look for Jesus!”

The surgeon operated on the little boy and it was as bad as he first thought.  There was no hope of saving his life. The extent of the damage to his heart was too great and there was no time to organise a transplant.

The surgeon, a bit of an atheist, said out of anguish, “God, if you do exist, why would you let us lose this little boy to death?”

He then heard a voice in his head that said, “The little boy was never lost. He was sent for a purpose in mind...to fetch a lost soul.”

When the little boy woke up, he asked the surgeon, “Did you find Jesus?”

Later that day, the little boy died.

The surgeon, upon hearing the tragic news, spent the rest of the day wondering about what had happened. That night, he went to a church service and looked at a statue of Christ and started crying.  He began to understand that life was in the hands of God, not his.  He then turned to Christ and accepted him into his heart.

The surgeon was no longer lost.

Worry

Worrying about things can really bring a person unstuck and put a strain on the simple day to day living on life itself.

 

This following little bit of inspiration and advice comes straight out of the "NIV Application Study Bible"

It's funny really because there was a time in my life I actually thought the bible was just a bunch of hogwash but honestly, it is certainly far from that.

Anyway even if your not a believer, or have different beliefs take a moment to read over this because they can help you with worry and anxiety.

6:25 The same God who created life in you can be trusted with details of your life.
6:26 Worrying about thee future hampers your efforts today.
6:27 Worrying is more harmful than helpful.
6:28-30 God does not ignore those who depend on him.
6:31,32 Worrying shows a lack of faith in and understanding of God.
6:33 Worrying keeps us from real challenges God wants us to pursue.
6:34 Living one day at a time keeps us from being consumed with worry.

Mathew 6:25

Jesus Teaches about worry

(25)Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? (26)Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? (27) Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?

(28)And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. (29) Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. (30)If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith. (31)So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?".

(32)For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. (33) But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (34) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it's own.

6:25 Because of the ill effects of worry, Jesus tells us not to worry about those needs that God promises to supply. Worry may (1) damage your health, (2) cause the object of your worry to consume your thoughts, (3) disrupt your productivity, (4) negatively affect the way you treat others, (5) reduce your ability to trust in God. How many ill effects of worry are you experiencing ? Here is the difference between worry and genuine concern - worry immobilizes, but concern moves you to action.

One last thing

Jesus Teaches about Asking, Looking, Knocking

Mathew 7:7

Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

7:7 Jesus tells us to persist in pursuing God. People often give up after a few halfhearted efforts and conclude that God cannot be found. But knowing God takes faith, focus, and follow-through, and Jesus assures us that we will be rewarded. Don't give up in your efforts to seek God. Continue to ask him for more knowledge, patience, wisdom, love and understanding. He will give them to you.

Now I realise some people will read this and totally ignore it, think it's all just fluff and so on. All I ask is that you remember what you read and just think about it once in a while.

 

Life Is

Life Is

by The Mother Theresa

Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.