Paul Tripp: The Bible has amazing things to say about your world of talk. In fact, there's a real way in which the Bible is a manual about talk.

Kate Crowley: From Paul Tripp Ministries, this is Right Here, Right Now, connecting the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life.

Susan (Actress): I thought I was so prepared. I had rehearsed the conversation in my mind over and over again. I tried to anticipate all the things he would say, and I thought about what I would say in response. I'd even prayed about it. I really did go into the conversation feeling positive and ready.

It started out okay, I guess. We were both a little tense, but it was clear we were both measuring our words. I began to think that we were going to reach a breakthrough, and then it happened. He said something ugly, and I don't know exactly what happened, but something in me just snapped.

The emotional temperature in the room changed in an instant. I lashed back at him out of my own hurt. He got angry and said something unkind. I responded in my own angry way. He told me I had no right to talk to him that way, and I got up and walked out of the room.

I'm so discouraged. I've told myself for days now that there was no way I was going to get into a verbal war with him again. I told myself there was no way I was going to lose my cool. I told myself that it would be different this time, but it wasn't different.

We ended in the same ugly place one more time. Now we're more hurt and angry than we ever have been before, and it's going to be even tougher to talk the next time. I feel like I'm stuck in this cycle of horrible communication, and I just don't know what to do.

Music: "Blue Moon" by Cowboy Junkies

You saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
Blue Moon
You knew just what I was there for
You heard me saying a prayer for
Someone I really could care for

Kate Crowley: You're listening to Right Here, Right Now with Paul Tripp. In just a moment, Paul takes a further look at "What About Your Talk?" Don't forget, Paul is here each weekday at 11 A.M. on WFIL. It's his goal to reveal the hope found in Jesus Christ. Be sure and share this ministry with your friends.

And remember, there are many resources available on our website, including a thought-provoking new book by Paul called War of Words. Just visit paultrippministries.org. That's all one word, paultripp, spelled, T-R-I-P-P, paultrippministries.org. More on "What About Your Talk?" on Right Here, Right Now with Paul Tripp.

Susan's Struggle Is Our Struggle

Paul Tripp: I wish I could say that I can't relate to Susan's story. I wish I could say that I don't have a clue what she's talking about. I wish I could say, "I just don't get it, Susan. What is this struggle you're talking about?" But I can't, and I know you can't either.

I know you can relate to what Susan was talking about. Can you relate to struggling to say the right thing even in moments of your best intention? You have the best intention possible. You know exactly what should be said; you've planned. And yet, in your moment of best intention, you don't say what you want to say; you say the thing you didn't want to say.

Paul says it very powerfully in Romans 7, beginning with about verse 14. He said, "The good I want to do, I do not do; but the evil I do not want to do, I do." He says, "Even when I desire to do what is right, sin is right there with me."

Why is good communication so hard for us? Why do we tend to struggle so with healthy and wholesome talk? Why do we say bad things even to people that we say we love? Why can none of us say, "I don't know about you, but I've never struggled with my talk."

Why is every relationship marred by wrong talk? Why do all the books on communication and all the techniques that those books present not solve this problem for us? Why is this part of our lives so discouraging and so defeating? Why is it discouraging? Why is it defeating?

You will be glad to know that the Bible addresses each of these questions. The Bible has amazing things to say about your world of talk. In fact, there's a real way in which the Bible is a manual about talk.

You see, since the Bible is a real story of a real God who makes Himself known to real people who live in a real world, there is talk on every page of the Bible. You do not have to look long for the drama of the world of talk to be depicted on the pages of Scripture. That drama comes very early, so you don't have to be stuck. You do not have to be hopeless about your world of talk.

The Bible holds out hope of real and lasting change because the Bible speaks those words of hope in the middle of an honest description of a world of talk trouble. What the Bible does is it interprets the problem for us and points to the one place were a real solution can be found. It does interpret the problem for us, and the Bible does point us to the one place where real solution can be found. Yes, I know you can relate to Susan. I know you've had the same thing happen in your life, and I know you've been upset and confused by it. I know that because I know me, and I know my own struggle. Isn't it wonderful that, in God's word, we find real hope and real help for lasting change?

Music: "Every Day I Have the Blues" by B.B. King

Every day, every day I have the blues
Every day, every day I have the blues
When you see me worried, woman
Because it's you I hate to lose
Nobody loves me
Nobody seems to care
Yes, nobody loves me
Nobody seems to care
Speaking of bad luck and troubles, darling
You know I've had my share
Every day, every day, every day
Every day, every day
Every day I have the blues
When you see me worried, woman
Because it's you I hate to lose
Every day I have the blues
Every day, every day I have the blues
When you see me worried, woman
It's you I hate to lose

Where Did the Trouble With Talk Come From?

Paul Tripp: Maybe you're wondering, "Paul, if this is such a wonderful area, if what God created in giving us this powerful ability was such a good thing, if there was in the beginning, no trouble in the world of talk, where in the world did all of this trouble begin?"

You see, the trouble with our talk didn't start with the first accusation uttered or the first moment of verbalized anger. The trouble didn't start the first time two human beings went toe to toe in a heated debate. Our trouble with talk didn't happen the first time a person was called a name.

No, our trouble with talk does course back through the years and through the history. It courses back almost to the beginning. In fact, it goes back to a fateful moment in the Garden of Eden. Into the pristine beauty of that garden where no wrong word had ever been spoken came the voice of the serpent.

It was a world-altering, dramatic moment. His words were evil, arrogant, and deceptive; and in those evil words, the world of talk became forever troubled. For the first time, words were used for a purpose other than God's. For the first time, God's authority was challenged. For the first time, a lie was spoken. For the first time, words were used to manipulate and to deceive. It was like the world of talk was forever shattered in that moment. We live among the shards of the broken glass of a beautiful gift every day.

Satan spoke, and, with his words, a simple world of communication instantly became a chaotic world of sin and struggle. And the roots of all of our daily struggle with words are in this terrible moment of evil talk. The roots of our trouble grow out of this moment of evil talk.

Think about it. This moment of troubling talk is itself a catalog of communication firsts. It's a horrible group of troubling firsts...for the first time, God's authority is challenged; for the first time, words are used to interpret life differently from God; for the first time, a lie is spoken; for the first time, people speak against one another; for the first time, there are actually words of accusation made against God. This is where this big drama begins. Here is the source of all of our trouble with talk...on to the scene, the scene that was dominated by the great speaker, God, comes the great deceiver, Satan.

And all of the wrong words that were ever spoken have their origin in this horrible moment of talk change. All of the words that were ever spoken have their origin in this horrible moment of talk change.

Satan speaks. And as Adam and Eve act upon his words, the world of talk instantly becomes a world of trouble. No longer do we simply reflect the image of God with our words. Sadly, also, we all reflect the image of the serpent. No longer do we consistently speak up to God's standard. No, we often speak down to the serpent's standard. No longer are our words a faithful picture of God's design. Sadly, too often, our words also picture Satan's deceit.

The world of talk, that was once utterly beautiful and utterly safe, is no longer beautiful and no longer safe. Instead it has become a world where lies manipulate; angry words wound; falsehood destroys; slander harms; condemnation tears down, and disrespectful words challenge the authorities that God has set in place for each one of us.

We should long for the simple days of Genesis 1 where every word was appropriate to the situation and properly spoken, but we do not live in the simple days of Genesis 1 anymore. The simple days of Genesis 1 were shattered in the words of the serpent.

Who among us has not regretted the things we've said? Who of us hasn't spoken unkindly as a parent, spoken unkindly as a spouse, spoken unkindly as a friend, spoken unkindly is a neighbor or a worker? Who of us has not spoken down to the serpent's standard?

All of us have had times when we wish we could snatch back our words. We wish we could somehow erase the CD so that they would no longer exist in memory, but we can't do that. Who of us have not had to go to someone in our lives and ask for forgiveness for what we have said? And every day, we need to do that.

You see, we all need help; because in a fateful historical moment, in a dark moment in the garden, not only was the Great Speaker speaking, but another voice interrupted the peace, interrupted the beauty of communication; the great deceiver spoke, spoke lies, manipulative deceitful lies; and in that moment, the world of talk became a world of trouble.

You can't act like you live in Genesis 1 because you don't live in Genesis 1 anymore. You can't act as if your world of talk is okay because it's not okay anymore. You can't act as if you always speak up to God's standard and according to His design because there is another speaker that influences your words.

And you've got to hear this. Your world of talk is a war between the Great Speaker and the great deceiver. Your world of talk is an intersection between Genesis 1 and Genesis 3: the beauty of words and the danger of words. And in your own vocabulary, in your own communication, those two worlds collide into a world of talk trouble.

Music: "I Will Sing"

I will glory in my redeemer
Whose priceless blood has ransomed me
Mine was the sin that drove the bitter nails
And hung Him on that judgement tree
I will glory in my redeemer
Who crushed the power of sin and death
My only Savior before the Holy Judge
The Lamb who is my righteousness
The Lamb who is my righteousness
I will glory in my redeemer
My life He bought, my love He owns
I have no longings for another
I'm satisfied in Him alone
I will glory in my redeemer
His faithfulness my standing place
Though foes are mighty and rush upon me
My feet are firm held by grace
My feet are firm held by grace

James 3 and the Untamable Tongue

Paul Tripp: Maybe you've been listening, and you're thinking, "Paul, I'm a bit offended. I think that you've really overstated the trouble of my world of talk. I don't think it's really that bad." Well, let me read for you from James 3:

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he's a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits in the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example: although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.

Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil. Among the parts of the body, it corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both freshwater and saltwater flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce freshwater.

What amazing words. Listen to the power of what James says. In verse 2, he says this: "We all stumble in many ways. If anyone who is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check." James is saying, "The only way you would ever, could ever, be perfect in your talk is if you were a drop-dead, completely perfect person." And then, he also says, "The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." Could James possibly have used more powerful language?

You see, you and I need to humbly receive James's critique. He's talking about us. Our words build and give life, or our words tear down and destroy. Our words have power; our words are important; our words can be dangerous. And James says, "I know this one fact: Unless you are a completely, utterly, comprehensively, fundamentally perfect person, you have trouble in your world of talk.

Admit it! There is trouble there, trouble in important places. Your words have not just been influenced by the Great Speaker; your words have been influenced by the great deceiver. And Genesis 1 and Genesis 3 collide in your vocabulary every day.

(Music Interlude)

Paul Tripp: Well, it is sad to say, but it is important to say, "Yes, the simple days of Genesis 1 are forever gone. Yes, our world of talk has become a world of trouble. Yes, you can hear the trouble every day in words we speak and in words that are spoken to us."

We hear the trouble in our children. We hear it in ourselves. We hear it in our spouses. We hear it in our friends. We hear it in our neighbors. We hear it in our coworkers. We hear it everywhere, in every location, and every situation; and yes, we do hear it in ourselves.

None of us have been free; none of us are perfect; none of us have escaped the danger. All of us are involved in the trouble. None of us have completely conquered the war of words. Nowhere, do you and I more clearly demonstrate our desperate need for God's forgiving and empowering grace than in this area of our talk. It is evidence that we are not okay. It is evidence that our world is not okay. And because God's grace is real and because His grace is available, we do not need to despair even though we admit that there is trouble.

Jesus lived, Jesus died, and Jesus rose again--not only so that we would be forgiven for our sins of talk, but so that we would also someday be free of this struggle all together. In Jesus Christ, there really is help for your talk right here, right now.

Kate Crowley: Paul Tripp with "What About Your Talk?" on today's edition of Right Here, Right Now. For more encouragement on this topic, stop what you are doing and take a look at War of Words. In his book, Paul Tripp examines the power of God-honoring speech. That's War of Words, available at our website paultrippministries.org. That's all one word, paultripp, spelled T-R-I-P-P, paultrippministries.org.

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And Paul would love to take part in your local ministry as a guest speaker. Go to the 'Events' link at paultrippministries.org for more information. That's Paul T-R-I-P-P, ministries.org. Be here next time for more truth in the name of Jesus Christ; that's on Monday.

And this is Kate Crowley. And for all of us at Paul Tripp Ministries, we want to remind you that, in Jesus Christ, there really is help right here, right now. Have a great weekend.