you can't unsay what you say

It happens to us all; we say things we instantly wish we hadn't said.
Words fly out of our mouth and as quickly as they are out, our foot could take it's place.

We say things unthinkingly, offending-ly, blatantly, without consideration.
And often, these moments of offense happen at the worst time.

Consider a long concerned thought regarding a wayward child.  You want what's best for them, but they exasperate you, so in "parental love" you offer insight.  And usually, when you are at your most passionate, your child is at their most vulnerable. Instead of love, they hear condemnation.

Consider a peer.  You want to speak into their life; the path they have chosen is unwise and the decisions they've made foolish, so you speak words you think are in love, but they are received in judgement and intolerance. Instead of wisdom, they hear a critic.

Consider a spouse.  You want to pour into their life, so you help them by magnifying their bad habits, thinking that they don't realize, aren't self aware, and it's your duty to correct and improve. Instead of partnership, they hear attack.

Words can build up.
Words can tear down.
They can set loved ones free.
They can do irreparable damage.

Thomas Edison once said, "You will have many opportunities in life to keep your mouth shut: you should take advantage of every one of them."

We are not the moral police.
We are not the judges and the jury.
And while we are truth tellers and Christ followers:
our greatest work with words is in the context of prayer,
our greatest expression of love is in the context of grace,
our greatest witness is in the context of humility.