Finding True Peace in a Chaotic World with Grace Fox

Welcome back to The ActsSocial Podcast, where faith and meaningful conversations meet culture. In this inspiring episode, host Chance Olivas sits down with Grace Fox — a career missionary, award-winning author, and popular Bible teacher whose passion is to inspire, encourage, and transform lives through God’s Word.

Grace has written 15 books (with her 16th currently in progress!) and recently released her newest title, “Names of God: Knowing Peace” — a powerful exploration of seven biblical names of God and what they reveal about His character, presence, and unchanging peace.

Together, Chance and Grace dive deep into what it truly means to know peace in a world full of distractions, uncertainty, and chaos. From living on a boat to serving as a missionary in Nepal, Grace shares how the storms of life have shaped her understanding of God’s faithfulness, His unchanging nature, and His ability to anchor us when everything else feels unstable.

1. The Story Behind Names of God: Knowing Peace

Grace introduces her newest book — the second in a three-part series exploring the biblical names of God. Each chapter highlights one of seven divine names, uncovering where it first appears in Scripture, who experienced God through that name, and how we can encounter Him in that same way today. Every chapter even includes a QR code for exclusive 10-minute video teachings perfect for personal reflection or small group study.

2. What True Peace Really Means

Many people think peace is the absence of trouble, but Grace defines it differently:

“Peace is the state of inner rest amid outer unrest.”
She illustrates this with a powerful image — a bird resting safely in a crevice as storm clouds and waterfalls rage nearby. That, she says, is what it means to live at peace in Christ — calm and secure, even in chaos.

3. Escaping Distraction and Finding Stillness

In a world dominated by news alerts, social media, and noise, Grace challenges listeners to make intentional choices.
Limit screen time. Guard your mental space. And, most importantly, give God more time than your phone. As she reminds us:

“Where you spend your time determines how much peace you have.”

4. The Anchor Metaphor – Living on a Boat and Learning About Faith

From life aboard her boat, Grace shares a vivid analogy: our faith is like an anchor.
A boat only stays steady when its anchor is set in something solid — not garbage, not shifting sand, but the firm foundation beneath the waves.

“If your anchor is set in garbage, you’re going to drift.”
Just as her husband ensures their anchor digs deep into the seabed, we must make sure our spiritual anchor is set in God’s Word, not in fleeting emotions or unstable circumstances.

5. A Test of Faith – Grace’s Story from Nepal

Grace recounts a deeply moving story from her missionary years in Nepal. After her newborn daughter was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, she faced unimaginable fear and heartbreak. Yet in her pain, she clung to God’s promise from “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.”

“That moment taught me that my anchor had to be in God’s character, not my circumstances.”
Her story reminds listeners that when everything falls apart, God’s faithfulness remains steady.

6. Discovering the Seven Names of God

Grace unpacks seven names of God featured in her book — each revealing a powerful truth about His nature and peace:

• Yahweh Shalom – The Lord is Peace
  
  

• Abba – Father
  
  

• El Shaddai – God Almighty
  
  

• El Roi – The God Who Sees Me
  
  

• Yahweh Ori – The Lord is My Light
  
  

• Yahweh Nissi – The Lord is My Banner
  
  

• Emmanuel – God With Us
  
  

Each name offers comfort, identity, and hope, reminding us that peace comes from who God is, not what we face.

7. When God Uses Pain to Draw Us Closer

Grace speaks honestly about how God often uses our pain as a refining fire — a place where faith deepens and dependence grows.

“Pain can harden our hearts or soften them. We choose.”
In our most vulnerable moments, God reveals Himself as faithful, present, and sovereign.

8. Breaking the Fear Cycle

Grace admits that fear is a natural response — even after decades of ministry — but she’s learned how to disarm it with truth.

“Don't fear all the real estate in your head. Give it to truth.”
Her advice: replace anxious thoughts with Scripture, remember who God is, and live as though His promises are true.

9. Living Fearlessly and Faithfully

After decades of saying “yes” to God — from serving in remote villages to living on the sea — Grace hopes others will do the same.

“We’ll never live without fear, but we don’t have to live controlled by it.”
By anchoring ourselves in the character of God, we can live courageously, peacefully, and full of purpose — no matter the storm.

💬 Memorable Quotes

“Peace is not the absence of chaos; it’s the presence of Christ.”
— Grace Fox

“When the storms of life hit, the only thing that will hold us fast is the truth of who God is.”
— Grace Fox

“Don’t give fear the real estate in your mind. Give it to truth.”
— Grace Fox

“If your anchor is set in garbage, you’re going to drift. Anchor yourself in God’s Word — it never changes.”
— Grace Fox

🌍 About Grace Fox

Grace Fox is a career missionary, international speaker, and award-winning Christian author of 15 books including Names of God: Knowing Peace and Names of God: Living Unafraid. For over 30 years, she has served with faith-based missions organizations around the world and currently lives full-time on a boat with her husband. Grace’s passion is to help believers discover freedom, peace, and courage by knowing the character of God.

📖 Connect with Grace Fox

• Website: www.gracefox.com – Explore articles, interviews, free resources, and more.
• YouTube: Grace Fox - Inspiring hope & courage Devotions from the Dock – Weekly 2-3 minute devotional videos filled with biblical encouragement.
• Instagram: Grace Fox - Author & Speaker
  
  
• Facebook: Grace Fox, Christian Author & Speaker
  
  
• Pinterest: Grace Fox Ministries
  
  
• Spotify: Grace Fox
  
  
• Books: Available wherever Christian books are sold — including ChristianBook.com, Amazon, and your local Christian bookstore (Grace encourages you to support these community “lighthouses”).

🎧 Listen & Subscribe

Catch this full conversation on The ActsSocial Podcast — available wherever you stream your favorite podcasts. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs a reminder that God is our peace, even in the storm.