WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and beard trimmed. They struck up a conversation on various subjects. But when the customer mentioned God, the barber said: "Sorry, but I don't believe God exists." 

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer. "You only have to go out in the street to see that God doesn't exist." said the barber. "For example, if God existed, why are there so many sick people? Or poor people? Why are there abandoned children? If God existed, there should be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a caring God who would allow such terrible things."

The customer didn't respond, paid the barber and left. As he did, he saw a man walk by with long, dirty hair and a scraggly beard. The customer went back into the barbershop and said to the barber, "You know what? I don't believe that barbers exist." "Now what do you mean by that?" asked the barber. "I'm here, and I'm a barber. And I just cut your hair!"

"Nope!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers do not exist because if they did, there would be no people with long, dirty hair and scraggly beards, like that man who just walked past your shop." "Ah, but barbers do exist!" said the barber, "What you saw happens only when people don't come to me."

"That's my point!" said the customer. "We know barbers exist because we can see evidence of what they do. The same is true about God. We know He exists because we see evidence of what He does. Much of the trouble and tragedy in this world happen because so many do not go to God and do not look to Him for help. If more people went to God for His help, there would surely not be as much pain and suffering in this world."

I am sure some reading this will think it is a weak case for proof of God, and it probably is. Others will say we don't know that there would be less tragedy if more people prayed, or that suffering is simply proof of sin and our need for God. But without Christian faith and the prayers of God's people, our world would surely be a far worse place in which to live.

In Psalm 50:15 God tells us, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you and you shall glorify Me." That's God's promise and I believe it. However, a growing number of people in our world believe we'd all be better off if denied the existence of God and banished Him from government, schools and just about all other places, including churches.

What do you believe? What are you doing about it?