If someone asked whether your closeness to God is based on what you do, most of us would quickly say “no.” On paper, we believe grace covers us and our righteousness isn’t earned.

But sometimes our lives tell a different story.

In this conversation, Ash and Shae unpack Matthew 5:6 — “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” — and wrestle with the tension between believing in grace, yet living under pressure, performance, and constant “doing.”

Ash opens up about a conversation with her psychologist that revealed something deeper: her sense of dissatisfaction wasn’t just burnout, but a pattern of striving — of trying to earn security, approval, and even closeness to God through effort.

Together they explore what it actually means to hunger for God, not just function for Him. Because real faith isn’t about performing well enough to be close to God — it’s about learning to come back to Him as the source of fullness, rest, and satisfaction.

The invitation isn’t more striving. It’s deeper hunger.