How does the federal government balance spending pressures, sustainability, and lasting stewardship?
PRAY FIRST for God to grant wisdom to our federal officials as they seek to discern what faithful stewardship looks like for the nation.
If you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding… then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path. Proverbs 2:3, 9
The national debt might sound like something complicated and far away, but it’s not. It affects the country’s priorities, the opportunities available to future generations, and how secure we feel about tomorrow. Every number represents real decisions on what we build now, what we delay, and what burdens we leave behind. As government spending grows and the cost of debt rises, the question becomes less about charts and more about the kind of future we want to create. Understanding why the debt is growing and how we can manage it wisely helps make this big issue personal for everyday citizens who care about the nation’s well-being.
The Basics
Understanding America’s debt begins with a simple difference often lost in political debates of the national debt vs annual deficit. The national debt is the total amount the federal government owes after decades of borrowing whereas the annual deficit is the gap between what the government spends and what it brings in during a single year. Like if a household’s yearly income is less than its yearly bills and expenses, the deficits accumulate and add to the debt over time.
Where does all the money go? Federal spending can be broken into broad categories that help explain why long-term pressures exist. “Mandatory” spending, like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, is required by law and tends to grow automatically as the population ages. Discretionary spending, including defense and agency budgets, is set by Congress each year. And then there are interest payments, which must be paid regardless of other priorities.
Those interest costs are becoming harder to ignore. As the debt grows, so do the payments needed just to service past borrowing. Rising interest costs can squeeze budgets and reduce flexibility in funding education, infrastructure, or research. Over time, that shrinking flexibility can make governing more difficult, even in moments of real need.
Understanding the Long-Term Challenges
Several demographic and economic trends put additional strain on federal budgets. Americans are living longer; at the same time, birth rates are declining, meaning there are relatively fewer workers supporting entitlement programs compared with retirees. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that if current policies remain unchanged, debt held by the public could grow from about 100 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) today to 156 percent by 2055—well above historical averages.
This trajectory matters because high and rising debt can limit economic flexibility and the ability of future lawmakers to respond to new challenges, whether financial crises, health emergencies, or national security threats. It also means future taxpayers may face heavier burdens to finance interest costs and essential services without corresponding revenue increases.
Roles and Responsibilities Across Government
Congress and the executive branch share responsibility for fiscal strategy. Lawmakers decide both tax policies and spending priorities, while the president plays a central role in proposing budgets. Independent institutions such as the CBO offer professional analysis and cost estimates that help elected officials, agencies, and the public understand the implications of different fiscal paths. Their reports are widely cited because they are nonpartisan and grounded in data.
Federal agencies likewise plan for both short-term needs and long-term spending restrictions, often balancing service delivery with fiscal reality. Effective budgeting requires anticipating likely future costs, such as those tied to aging populations, health care, and technology investments, without losing sight of annual responsibilities.
Evaluating Options for Sustainability
When discussions turn to slowing the growth of national debt, several principles recur: transparency about trade-offs, shared sacrifice across generations, and prioritizing spending that reinforces economic productivity. Policymakers face hard questions about how to balance essential public investments—such as education and infrastructure—with the need to avoid unrestrained borrowing that could reduce economic stability in the long run.
Reforms may include adjusting eligibility or benefit formulas for government assistance programs, reviewing discretionary spending priorities, or exploring revenue adjustments. Importantly, these conversations are not about merely shrinking government; they’re about making the government’s role sustainable and focused on enduring public goods that support broad opportunity.
Federal Action
In 2025, the federal government’s most significant action on the national debt was raising the debt ceiling. After the debt‑limit suspension expired on January 1, 2025, the limit reset to $36.1 trillion. To avoid an immediate crisis, the Treasury used a scheduled $54 billion trust‑fund redemption to temporarily reduce outstanding debt and delay the need for extraordinary measures. This bought Congress several weeks to negotiate a longer‑term solution.
The major step came on July 4, 2025, when Congress passed a budget reconciliation bill increasing the debt limit by $5 trillion—the largest single increase in U.S. history. This move allowed the government to continue borrowing and prevented a default. It was essentially a stabilization measure rather than a structural fix.
Throughout the year, federal oversight bodies such as the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued strong warnings about the long‑term fiscal outlook. GAO emphasized that the U.S. was on an “unsustainable fiscal path,” noting that interest costs were surpassing major federal programs like Medicare and defense. CBO echoed these concerns, urging lawmakers to consider reforms to entitlement programs and revenue policies.
Policymakers have debated changes to taxes, spending caps, and entitlement programs, but each solution has stalled in Congress. As a result, the national debt has continued to grow, surpassing $38 trillion by late 2025, with interest payments alone exceeding $1 trillion annually.
Strengthening Public Understanding and Trust
Financial discussions often seem distant because technical terms hide real-world effects. Clear communication about how debt and deficits affect everyday life—like the potential for higher taxes, slower wage growth, or reduced investment in public goods—helps citizens make more informed judgments about public policy. Governments can also help by presenting information in accessible formats and explaining the assumptions behind future estimates.
Informed citizens who grasp how choices today link to future benefits and burdens are more likely to engage thoughtfully with public debates. Transparency breeds trust, especially when it acknowledges uncertainties and trade-offs rather than promising simple solutions to complex problems.
Why It Matters and How We Can Respond
Fiscal choices ripple across generations. If debt growth outpaces economic growth, future communities may find fewer tools available to address new challenges. The Bible reminds us to think beyond today: “Whoever is sluggish in his work is a brother to him who destroys” (Proverbs 18:9). Stewardship calls for careful planning and responsible use of shared resources so that those who follow are not left with unnecessary burdens.
We can engage in these discussions with a spirit of humility and hope. We are encouraged to pray for wisdom beyond our own understanding: “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Such humility invites thoughtful dialogue grounded not in fear or partisanship, but in a desire for flourishing communities.
HOW THEN SHOULD WE PRAY:
— Pray for those in Congress as they make choices about budgets, spending, and national priorities, that they would be rooted in integrity rather than convenience. Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. Proverbs 16:8
— Pray for all who hold public office to act with generational awareness and compassion for those who will come after us. One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. Psalm 145:4
CONSIDER THESE ITEMS FOR PRAYER:
- Pray for federal officials to always seek clear and honest communication with the public.
- Pray for Congress and administration officials to seek uniting, durable, and long-term solutions.
- Pray for God to give our leaders hearts towards peace and humility.
Sources: White House, Congressional Budget Office, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Government Accountability Office, Congress.gov, American Action Forum, Deloitte, Peter G. Peterson Foundation, National Priorities Project,
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