why do bad things happen to good people?

The world is in total confusion concerning our chaotic world, they blame bad people and mother nature. They don't realize it but they are putting all this upheaval square on God's shoulders. No one is safe, even the babies and children are victims of this evil world. Did God leave a space in the world for evil when He created it? No way! Every good and perfect thing comes from above. The Christians are well aware of the spiritual outlaw, the devil who hates all of mankind. The world knows there is a devil out and about and they believe he is on the level of God. They think God and the devil are at war and man is caught in the middle.

We need to be honest in order to deal with all the bad things in our world.
Genesis 3:17 God said to Adam, because you disobeyed Me the earth is under a curse because of you. In sorrow and toil you will live all the days of your life.

God gave Adam dominion and he chose to obey the serpent (the devil) and he became satan's servant. Adam had a nature that did not come from God and so the curse came out of him and evil covered the whole planet. How did Adam's treason change creation? Now we must contend with draughts, floods, fires, tornados, hurricanes, pestilence, poverty, deceit, hatred, murder, etc. Bad things happen to good people because one man chose to disobey God, the father of all living souls. Insurance companies refer to climate tragedies as acts of God, but they are acts of sin. Man refuses to accept sin as the reason for chaos in our world, they want to blame anything but themselves.

1 Corinthians 11:31 If we would judge ourselves, we will not be judged.

What is our judgement that we are spared from when we judge ourselves? It's the curse that Adam brought on himself and the world. God cannot help until we become honest with Him, but most folks are either afraid or are in denial. Some of our most accomplished sinners don't believe they have done anything wrong. There are few who are willing to take responsibility for their life, they always play the victim card and excuse themselves. Do we live with the curse until death do us part or is there a way around it?

Romans 10:9 If you will openly confess the Lordship of Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Saved from what? Our sins, hell, and in this life the curse Adam released on mankind. The curse will be here until the devil is locked away in hell, but we don't have to yield to it. Christ bore our curse on His body on the cross. Bad things happen because a spiritual outlaw has been loosed into our world and sin gives him strength. If we have no sin, the devil has no power over us, he is left with temptations. Our dominion has been restored, Jesus defeated the devil and then gave us the power to use His Name.

Romans 12:21Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

The devil uses his evil ways to pull us in to evil ways in order to deal with him, but God has a better plan. When the devil tempts us he is hoping he can draw us into the flesh where we are powerless against him. If we do good, that is to walk in the spirit, he must surrender to our commands. He has no choice. We are God's people and all things work together to them that keep His commandments. Some Christians are laser focused on the Ten Commandments, the Commandments when adhered to, cause us to love. Remember the words of Jesus. If you love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself, you will keep all the commandments and the devil has no law in which to accuse you.