Back when I was a young lad still in college, I was a Sunday school teacher, and on one particular Sunday morning we were talking about spiritual gifting. In my head I thought, "What good is it to just talk about spiritual gifting? I want them to know and use their own spiritual gift!" So, I searched on-line and found one of those nifty spiritual gift tests and used that time as an opportunity for those individuals to discover their gift.
I quickly realized the flaws of a test. The person to my right who was humble and gentle and lowly of heart, rated herself 1 out of 5 on almost every question, and according to her, she had not a single spiritual gift. On my left side was a loud, arrogant, blow hard, and as I watched him take his test he put down a 5 out of 5 on almost every question. According to him, he had every single spiritual gift there ever was and more! I learned that taking a spiritual gift test requires a level of self awareness that many don't have.
Is there a better way? One good guideline is to follow your passion. If you really enjoy ministering in a particular way, that is probably your gift. I have noticed, though, that sometimes I think a person is really gifted at something, and they have absolutely no passion for it. At other times I have seen people whose passion is overflowing, but they don't have the gift set to match it, but I do think following your passion is a good start to discovering your spiritual gift(s).
I think the key, though, is to just lay back a little, and take the pressure off. Don't over-think it. Try a lot of things. Find what you like and what people respond to, and ask others who might see you in a different light what they see as your spiritual gifts. It is alright to take time.
I also think that if it truly is your spiritual gift, then you have most likely been doing it all along.
I believe my main gifting is "pastor/shepherd." As I look back at my life, I see that I was a pastor long before I was actually a paid pastor. All the way back to my junior high and high school days I found myself caring about those around me and wanting to see them grow spiritually. Whether that was visiting shut ins or looking for younger kids to mentor, I was pastoring my whole spiritual life, because it it is who I am.
What type of ministry do you already do? That is probably your gifting. If you don't do anything, then start putting your toes in the water. If you are a believer, then God has given you a unique gift to help others. The body isn't complete until you are using it!
