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"Time in Your Presence" by Austin J. Smith: Why Wasting Time With God Is Never a Waste


Could “wasting time” be the greatest worship?

Austin J. Smith wrote “Time in Your Presence” around a simple but countercultural idea: “love doesn’t calculate”. We live in a world that is obsessed with output — checklists, side-hustles, proving what we are worth through who we're seen with and what we accomplish. So what happens when you bring that same mindset into your relationship with God? Austin sums up the answer in a single, defiant line: “I’ll waste my time in Your presence.” Not because sitting with God earns us anything. “Earning” isn’t required by God. 

Austin J. Smith - Time in Your PresenceThe lyrics elaborate on that tension. “The world just might think I’m foolish,” Austin sings, “to waste my whole life on you.” ‘Foolish’ by whose measure and which definition? Our culture rewards busyness and prestige, but it’s not capable of measuring the benefit of a quiet moment with your Creator. Austin calls God his “morning star” and “golden hour” — the beautiful moments of the day that don’t need justification, only our attention. 

We find a great scripture in Psalm that backs this up with striking clarity. Read Psalm 84:10, “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.” One day vs. a thousand elsewhere. That’s not a fair trade by worldly math, and it isn’t supposed to be. 

So how can this change your day? Start by stopping… stop treating your time with God like it is a task that you need to finish before the “real” work begins. Sit with Him before you check your phone. Let a drive become a time of worship instead of time spent listening to several podcasts. Ask yourself: When was the last time you spent a moment in His presence before you started your daily routine? 

You were made for communion, not just accomplishment. Give God the unglamorous minutes — the ones that nobody applauds. Press play on this song and let its message help you to reset your posture toward Him today. “I’ll waste my time in your presence.”

(Related scripture: Psalm 84:10; Psalm 27:4; Matthew 6:33)

Background:

I wrote “Time in Your Presence” in 2024 around the idea that when you truly love someone, “wasting time” with them isn’t really wasting time at all. I started thinking about how our culture places so much value on productivity and constantly doing something worthwhile, and I wanted to turn that idea toward my relationship with God. The song is essentially about giving God something incredibly valuable, our time, not because we’re trying to accomplish anything or get something from Him, but simply because being in His presence is worthwhile on its own. That idea eventually became the central lyric: “I'll waste my time in your presence.” This is also my debut single, so it represents the beginning of me finally taking the songs I’ve been writing for years and sharing them with people.

Release date: August 7, 2026

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