Comparing athletics to life, E. J. Caffaro, director of Brigham Young University's Student Athlete Academic Center, encouraged students to have a "personal game plan" for school and life at the first devotional of summer term Tuesday in the Joseph Smith Building.
"Both in athletics and in life, one of the most important things we can do is to acquire and learn our personal game plan," he said.
The devotional will be rebroadcast Sunday, June 29, on BYU-TV at 8 a.m. and 4 and 10 p.m. and on KBYU-TV at 6 and 11 a.m.
When learning our game plan for life, Caffaro said, it is important to know what our parents' plan is for us and, most importantly, what our Heavenly Father's plan is for us.
"Please acquire some strategies from those that love you," Caffaro said. "Those that love us are not perfect, but most times the advice they give us is."
Caffaro offered to students four essential strategies for a successful life game plan: commandments, prayer, scriptures and spiritual armor.
"Commandments are our map. They are what we must follow in this game of life. They give us directions, guidelines and a course of action," Caffaro said. "Obedience to this path will bring us to our eternal destination."
Prayer gives us immediate access to "the Head Coach, the Lord Jesus Christ," Caffaro said. The Lord will always be there to listen and give us answers and direction in our life.
The scriptures also give us guidance for our life's game plan.
"The scriptures are the greatest play books ever written," Caffaro said. "Just as a coach gives direction to his team, the scriptures warn us and motivate us to live our lives carefully and in harmony with gospel principles."
Finally, just like in any athletic competition, we need a uniform, gear or equipment. The uniform we must put on, Caffaro said, is the armor of God. Spiritual armor will protect us in our battle against the adversary.
Writer: Alexis Plowman
