What is a friend? What is a friendship? My dictionary has several definitions.
One attached to another by feelings of personal regard. One who is on good terms with another.
Friendly feeling or disposition. State of being a friend; association as friends. A friendly relation or intimacy.
I went to singles group Monday night and we were trying to come up with what a friend is. One definition we came up with was: someone greater than family. Whatever your definition, we all agree that friends care about each other, know the good and bad about us and keep it secret, will be there for us in times of need.. But now a days we have different types of friends.

I have used the terms dear friend and long-time friend to describe certain friends in my life. There have been other terms used by other people. Such as best friend, good friend, great friend, and trusted friend. Recently I read a story posted by my dear friend about a couple. The story was titled something like: Marriage isn't for you. The point of this story is that being married is not for you, it is for your spouse. You marry someone: It’s about the person you love—their wants, their needs, their hopes, and their dreams. The opposite of being selfish.

All relationships are like this. Friendships, like all kinds of relationships, are about the other person you are friends with. Those who don't have this concept don't relate to other people. They are the ones who live isolated from other people. Life is full of problems, and those who have other people in their lives are better equipped to weather the storms of life. My dear friend told me that God my be taking your faith in a different direction than someone else. There is no need to compare. This is true. What is good for me to learn my not be what another person needs to learn. How we handle our trials in life does grow us. Advice, support, and care we receive from friends help us grow.

But what is the difference in the different types of friends?

Well to start with, the term Long Time Friend refers to my friend who I have known the longest. Other friends have come and gone, but this one we are still friends, longer than all the other friends I have, she is loyal. We are great friends. We have history going back almost twenty years. Aspects that define other types of friends apply to my long time friend. So lets look at the other friend categories and see where there is crossover.

Best Friend is a very well known term in friendship. This may be the kind of friend that will drop everything in your time of need. Loyalty is core.

Good Friend is quite new to me, and may have only been around for a few years. I don't see what the difference between a friend and good friend is. A friend is someone you have good relations with. So here I don't see what makes a friend into a good friend.

Great Friend is used by some to describe a friend who is there for them but now willing to drop everything to be there. This would be someone who will be there when it is convenient for them.

Trusted Friend has been used in recent years more and more. What I understand of what a trusted friend to be is someone who cam be trusted with anything. As for trust, it is just as much about expecting one to do something as much as not to overstep their bounds.

Dear Friend entails all these aspects and more from all the terms listed above. My dear friend has such an impact on me I am inspired to become a better man. She is the most wonderful, beautiful elegant woman I've ever known. As I continue to get to know her more and more, I am expanding on this definition. My dear friend can be trusted with anything, is there for me in a time of need, is not critical but deals with me in the love of God. There are times I see her faith and long to aspire to her level. She always has the correct word to say at the correct time. There are so many great things I can say about her. God uses her to teach others, including me, and in return she is blessed. Although she is not family, she is much more than family to me.

Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times, (NIV) A friend is always loyal (New Living Translation)
Proverbs 18:24  One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (NIV)
There are "friends" who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. (New Living Translation)