Read Time: 4 min 19 sec | Reading Level: 7th Grade

U.S. NEWS

Lots of Layoffs

The federal workforce—the employees who work for the national government—is going through some major changes.

When President Trump entered the Oval Office (again), he established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE for short). Elon Musk has been helping oversee DOGE. Their goal is to help the government waste less time, effort, and money.

To cut waste, the administration has started by firing… a lot of people. Tens of thousands so far. Almost every government agency, from the Defense Department to the Postal Service, has been affected (check out a summary here).

And the layoffs haven’t always been clean. Some employees were offered money to leave voluntarily. Then, some people were laid off due to “poor performance,” even though some of their bosses liked their work. Other emails from Human Resources have left workers wondering what they have to do to keep their jobs. 

Critics say the process has been sloppy, with bad financial record keeping and firings of people who are actually pretty necessary. And they say it may not be legal for Elon Musk’s team to have access to government information. Supporters think Trump and Musk are making important changes to get rid of corruption and fix America’s money problems, and it’s worth any bumps in the road.

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CHOOSE HUMILITY
Big government changes can bring big emotions. Whether you’re losing a job or expecting a payday, remember compassion for your neighbors and trust the Lord with your future.

“Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another, and be compassionate and humble, not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing.”
1 Peter 3:8–9 (CSB) (read full passage)

How can I model putting my hope and trust in Christ when discussing this story?
Losing a job is scary because we don’t know how our needs will be met.

When our future is up in the air, all we can do is work diligently to please the Lord, trust him for today, and not worry about tomorrow. Jesus knows our worries—and he tells us to seek God and trust him to take care of the rest: “So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’... But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:31–34 CSB).

What do I want to make sure my kids know in light of this story?
How governments should spend taxpayer money is controversial, and believers may disagree. But God’s commands for believers’ relationship with money throughout the Bible are pretty clear. 

Here are some of the Bible’s instructions:

• Prioritize things that have value forever (Matthew 6:19-24)

• Help the needy (Proverbs 19:17; Luke 12:31-34)

• Avoid greed and be generous towards God (Luke 12:13-21)

• Give secretly, generously, and cheerfully (Proverbs 22:9; Matthew 6:1-4; 2 Corinthians 9:7)

Before criticizing others’ money management habits, it’s important for us to look at our own. How we spend our money shows what we value, and we want to be people who value God above everything: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34 CSB).

• Read some Bible passages about money (you could start with one from each of the bullets above) and discuss: Which of your money habits are going well? Which might need to change?

• Memorize Luke 12:34, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (CSB).

• Pray for those who have recently lost their job and may be facing hardships; pray for your family’s own use of money to reflect God’s values.

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