Looking back, I can see the red flags were clear from the beginning. A culture of retaliation. Leaders who didn’t lead with integrity. Constant shifting of expectations. Colleagues who were silenced for speaking up.

But I told myself the same story many of us tell: “It’s just a rough patch. At least the paycheck is steady. Maybe I’m overreacting.” And so, I stayed. Month after month. Year after year.

The truth is, ignoring red flags doesn’t protect you. It only delays the inevitable. By the time I finally left, I had spent years under stress, questioning myself, and losing pieces of my peace. And the final blow came when they illegally withheld my last paycheck. That injustice confirmed what the red flags had been signaling all along: the system was never safe to begin with.

God has been using this season to remind me that discernment is a gift. Red flags are His way of protecting us, not something to rationalize away. Through fasting, through my soul reset, through the wisdom of Deuteronomy, He has been teaching me that when I see misalignment, I don’t have to wait for ten more signs to validate my feelings.

This doesn’t just apply to jobs. It applies to relationships, partnerships, friendships. One red flag is enough. My peace, my purpose, my future are too valuable to gamble with again.

Now, I choose differently. I no longer excuse what I know isn’t right. I trust myself. I trust God. And I know that when He shows me a warning, it’s not something to debate — it’s something to honor.