“The tongue has no bones, but is strong enough to break a heart. So be careful with your words.” “A broken bone can heal, but the wound a word opens can fester forever.”
I ran across an entry in one of my journals about how I had hurt a very dear friend a couple of years ago. This friend said to me, "Our relationship is a torn picture, which means our relationship will never be the same. We have put the picture back together, but the scars are still there." In this same journal, it was my prayer to God, asking him to mend our friendship, take the scars away, and restore the relationship to new. I don't know exactly where we are today, but I am thankful we are still good friends. We are to forgive, but forgetting is much harder for us than it is for God.
James 1:19-20 warns against speaking too quickly or as some say, "speaking before thinking it through." I encourage everyone to take to heart the words of God. Maybe it will prevent you from having a taped together torn picture as I have now.
"This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God." (James 1:19-20)