Our Words - Weapons for Life or Death

I was thinking about something that I saw happen a long time ago. I will not mention names, but I will never forget this. There was a woman, and man she was living with, a daughter, and grandson in this family. We went out with this family. I was surprised at what I saw, but maybe I shouldn't have been. It seemed like the whole time we were with them, the grandmother seemed to be hateful toward the grandson. She picked on him and called him derogatory names. I wondered why anyone would do that. Our words have power. Our words can be healing. Our words can bring comfort to others. We can edify and encourage one another with our words. But we can also destroy people with our words. Our words can hurt people. The Bible says that 'Life and death are in the power of the tongue.' It is sad how we use our words, sometimes.
I remember reading a story in one of Joni Earickson's books, about a young woman who was dealing with guilt. When the young woman was a teenager, she was angry at her dad and told him something like she didn't want to ever see him again. The father died that night and she never did see him again. How sad for that young woman. How sad for us when we say things we wished we would never have said.
I don't know whatever happened to the grandson of the woman who went out with my family that time, long ago. He is probably a grown up now. If that kind of behavior continued, I'm sure he doesn't have much of relationship with her now. How sad that is. Why would we talk to our children that way, or our grandchildren? Sometimes, we don't realize how the things we say will affect others. And we don't know who is watching us either.
Ephesians 4:29 says Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (ESV)
Proverbs 16:24 says Gracious words are like a honeycomb,
    sweetness to the soul and health to the body. (ESV)

Let's speak words that will edify and nourish the hearers!