Question...

What does a "True Friend" look like to you?

I'd love to know what you all think.  From a Biblical standpoint or otherwise.  

Personally, I'm not always seeing the true friend within the body of Christ, or even within myself at times.  

Yes, Our first concern should be sharing the message of Christ.  Yet, if Christians can't even be a friend toward one another...show they care for one another...why would anyone outside want to accept Christ and become a part of the body of Christ? Why would Christians even want to continue being a part of a fellowship that does not have sweet fellowship among the people?    

Something I am pondering these days.

Here are some Bible verses about friendship that jumped out at me.  

Job 6:14-15 (New International Version)

 ¹⁴ "A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends, 
       even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.

 ¹⁵ But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams,
       as the streams that overflow

Proverbs 17:17 (New International Version)

 ¹⁷ A friend loves at all times, 
       and a brother is born for adversity.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10; 12 (New International Version)

 ⁹ Two are better than one, 
       because they have a good return for their work:

 ¹⁰ If one falls down, 
       his friend can help him up. 
       But pity the man who falls 
       and has no one to help him up!

¹² Though one may be overpowered, 
       two can defend themselves. 
       A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

John 15:12-14 (New International Version)

¹²My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.¹³Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command.

1 John 4:6-7 (New International Version)

 ⁷Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.⁸Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 4:10-12 (New International Version)

¹⁰This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹²No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

I love this one...it is just so very sweet...

3 John 1:13-14 (New International Version)

 ¹³I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. ¹⁴I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. 
      Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.

So often the church, or whomever is being addressed in the scriptures...will begin; "Dear Friends".   

It seems that society and even the churches of today have lost this sweet kind of fellowship of brother and sisterly love; the Holy kind of love that is patient and kind, caring and compassionate toward one another.  I don't know, I'm just not seeing it evident.  It is more surface-y and more about numbers or becoming a "mega church".  

I'm just as guilty, so don't think that I don't have my 5 fingers pointing back at me...

What are your thoughts?