When I committed my life to serving God...I dumped all the alcohol in the house and refused to buy a Christmas tree; dumping the alcohol was probably a good thing, not getting a Christmas tree, not so much.  So what did the Spirit mean, "Life is a balance?"

You are probably familiar with the passage, "Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is whole duty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12:13)  It's a good one to remember.

Fearing God, is spiritual; keeping his commandments is physical.  if you fear God, but don't keep the commandments, you are being "too Spiritual."  On the other hand, if you keep the commandments, but don't fear God, you are being too physical.  You can't have one without the other and have life...you must do both. 

Believing in God will not bring life (even demons believe in God)  Life and blessing are the result of obedience to God...which you won't do until you know, without a doubt, God is real.  When you're born again, God breathes "life" into your spirit..then, and only then, will you know that God is real.  It's why Jesus said, "Ye must be born again." 

Until you're reborn Spiritually...nothing else matters.