Why Your Future Isn't the Government's Problem

Let’s be honest: we’ve all been there. A problem arises—a job loss, a medical bill, an economic downturn—and our first, almost instinctual thought is, “What is the government going to do about it?” This isn’t an accident. It’s a reflex carefully cultivated over a lifetime, a lesson pounded into our heads from the fifth grade onward. As Charles Colson brilliantly exposed, we are a nation raised on a steady diet of the political illusion—the seductive but dangerous lie that the state is our provider, our savior, and the key to a “rich and full” life.

This essay hits with the force of a sledgehammer because it’s more relevant now than when it was written. Congress recently admitted, once again, that it is utterly incapable of the most basic act of fiscal responsibility: balancing a checkbook. The national debt isn’t just a number on a screen anymore; it’s a monstrous, generational burden that represents a thousand broken promises from politicians who swore they could fix it. They can’t even manage their own finances, yet we expect them to expertly manage our healthcare, our retirement, our education, and our moral well-being? This is the definition of insanity: entrusting the keys of our lives to an institution that is perpetually locked out of its own house.

The root of this problem, as Jacques Ellul stated is idolatry. We have made the state our god. We kneel at the altar of the Capitol and pray for our daily bread, for forgiveness of our debts, and for salvation from every hardship. And like all false gods, it is a cruel and demanding deity. It takes our taxes, our freedom, and our sense of personal agency, and in return, it gives us inefficiency, bureaucracy, and a mountain of IOUs it can never repay. A fifth-grade textbook that teaches children to look to Washington D.C. for their food and rent isn’t educating citizens; it’s creating congregants for the state religion.

So, if the government is an unreliable, bankrupt idol, what’s the alternative? The answer isn’t just to complain; it’s to build. The most powerful act of rebellion against the political illusion is to become so competent, so skilled, and so valuable that you simply don’t need the government’s “help.”

Instead of waiting for a universal basic income, learn a skill that people are actually willing to pay for. This is one of the most practical and empowering pieces of advice anyone can hear. The government can print money, but it cannot print value. It cannot grant you a work ethic, ingenuity, or expertise. Those are currencies that are earned, and they are inflation-proof.

This isn't a call for cold-hearted individualism; it’s a call for biblical realism. The state has a God-given role: to wield the sword of justice and keep the peace (Romans 13). It is not ordained to be a cosmic nanny. The true work of creating a rich and full life happens in the other spheres God created: the family, which provides love and support; the church, which offers community and spiritual meaning; and the marketplace, where our skills and labor meet the needs of our neighbors.

Imagine if the energy spent demanding more from the government was redirected toward:

Mastering a Trade: The world will always need skilled electricians, plumbers, welders, and coders. These are not fallback options; they are pillars of a functioning society and paths to genuine, debt-free wealth.

Investing in Financial Literacy: Learning to manage your money—to budget, save, and invest—is a far more effective shield against poverty than any government program. It makes you the master of your destiny, not a client of the state.

Building Community Networks: Strengthening ties with family, church, and local community organizations creates a real safety net—one made of relationships and mutual aid, not red tape and means-testing.

Our final point is the most crucial: a life can only be truly “rich and full” through a relationship with God, not a dependency on government. The state’s kingdom is made of paper promises and future defaults. The Kingdom of God is built on eternal, unshakable truth. The former will inevitably collapse under the weight of its own incompetence. The latter stands forever.