“A fool’s mouth is his destruction,
and his lips are the snare of his soul.
The words of a talebearer are as wounds,
and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.”
Proverbs 18:7-8

Hurtful words truly do go down into the innermost soul, and they can be painfully remembered for a lifetime. Hurtful words cause bitterness which can defile a person for the rest of his life.

“…lest any root of bitterness springing up
cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;”
Hebrews 12:15

When it says “by this many become defiled” it’s referring to the fact that bitterness doesn’t only harm the bitter person’s soul, it also causes him to speak from bitterness, spreading the darkness to all who hear and thereby defiling the hearers.

Be careful not to speak bitterness. Put a censor at your lips. Pray about it and ask for grace to refrain from spreading bitterness. Remember that gossip and bitter words can have life-long effects upon those who hear you. You may speak in anger and not really mean it, but the effects of what you say can change a person’s heart. Don’t indulge the desire to speak when what you’re going to say can be harmful, knowing that your words can defile not only your own heart but someone else’s, sometimes for the rest of their lives.

Go to people you may have hurt in this way, ask forgiveness and try to make amends. It can be a world of healing to them. Forgiveness cannot change the past, but it can change the future.