what is a friend?

Last weak my cousin Kaleb came down from WA to visit us Oregonians. He and I got to spend allot of time together talking, playing music(duh), talking, discussing, arguing, debating, reminiscing, contemplating, and.... well just talking. Sometimes I make a friend who I want to be like, not necessarily who I am like. But over all it seems to me we make friends with those who we are similar to. For example, we are attracted to someone because they like the same style of music that we do, or they enjoy discussing biblical theology, or perhaps they just enjoy having fun & playing games. The book of Proverbs has much to say about friends and friendship. We read in Prov. 17:17 that,"a friend loves at all times,And a brother is born for adversity". But have you ever wandered whether it is ok to be friends with someone who does not live up to this standard, or is not even a Christian? Well later on we read in chapter 18:2 that "A fool has no delight in wisdom, but in expressing his own heart". Now you might be saying "com on man, not all 'non Christians' are fools". Well, according to Romans 1 (professing to be wise they became fools)they are. Ex. 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before Me " implies that nothing should come before Christ, and that includes reason. If someone thinks of themselves as the controller of their life then they are a fool according to Romans one. In other words If they put their own wisdom before Gods then they have elevated themselves to an idol. There is much more that could be said, but for the sake of time I will have to cut it short. Having a relationship makes you vulnerable, And a companion of fools shall suffer harm. So it is a sin to be friends with unbelievers? Of course not, however if a person is having more of an effect on you than you are on them it would only be wise to avoid that person. I thank God for giving me so many good and true friends.

well thats all fore today folks!
-aLeX