You put the money into 401K because it's a tax-deferred strategy. You did not pay taxes on it now, because you will pay the tax man later. It reduces your take-home pay (so you pay less taxes now, and it allows your money to grow tax-deferred.
In certain cases of hardship, you are allowed to withdrawal your money, but then you face the tax bill for all the money at the end of the year, plus a 10% early withdrawal penalty.
I don't know all the details of your personal situation, but I would suggest that if you need money, cut back your 401K to 0%, and use that. If you need money in the short-term, work extra hours.